Acts of Aggression
by Gleena
Summary: Now in an open war by proxy with Volturi, the Cullens fight for survival. Although hampered by the hybrids, Alice still suffers from disturbing but vague visions of the future as Carlisle and Edward seek to preserve the alliance. Sequel to The Cold War.
1. Prologue: Ill will

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twilight universe.**

**AN: It continues, finally. The prologue is third person, but the "real" chapters will continue in the same manner as The Cold War. If you are a new reader, it is actually imperative that you read that story first. I'll encourage you by saying TCW is currently up for two awards, took second in the first incarnation of the Sparkle Awards (Best Post-Breaking Dawn) and made it to the final round of the Indie Twific Awards for Best Canon Story and Best Original Character. It was recced recently on twifans dot com!! (See my profile for details.)**

**Thank you edward-bella-harry-ginny for beta-ing and encouraging!!!!**

**Acts of Aggression. Now in an open war by proxy with Volturi, the Cullens fight for survival. Although hampered by the hybrids, Alice still suffers from disturbing but vague visions of the future as Carlisle and Edward seek to preserve the alliance. Sequel to The Cold War.**

Prologue. Ill Will.

By the pricking of my thumbs,  
Something wicked this way comes.  
_MacBeth_, Act IV, Scene 1. Shakespeare

Demetri knelt, as was his preference, on the stone floor of Master Aro's private sitting room. He stood high enough in _La Guardia_ to be witnessed in private. In truth, he relished the opportunity to be alone with his Master. Well, as alone as he ever was anymore. The hybrid female knelt at his elbow. If he would kneel before their Master, she would certainly do so as well. It was right.

"Demetri. Is there anything you wish to share with me about your visit to America which I did not learn from Sarah?" Master Aro gave him the fatherly smile that Demetri had begun craving centuries ago. The Master's hybrid female and Renata stood in attendance. They never left his side, a situation as problematic as his own. The hybrids required sleep and had to feed much more often than _i vampiri vero_.

Demetri's face darkened for a moment. Sarah's behavior disgusted him. He performed his duty, which was to carry out the will of the Masters. She seemed to revel in using her assignments to wreak pleasure and pain on others solely for her own enjoyment. She had been chastised by Master Aro, but Demetri would rather not have had to work with her again. It rankled that she had been in charge of the visit to America, despite her lower standing. It had been a practical decision based upon her influence over the hybrids, but he still chafed at her ridiculous demands.

"No, Master. Her report of the events was thorough."

"You have no opinions to share with me?"

"My opinions are irrelevant, Master. You know I seek only to serve." It was the truth, the core of his being for many centuries. The world required order; he was all too aware of the chaos which resulted from the uncontrolled.

"Share with me, Demetri." The Master raised his hand, and Demetri touched him, ecstatic to be able to serve yet again.

Aro witnessed through Demetri that events were truly as Sarah had seen. He wondered that Demetri himself still had not understood the implications of his own actions, his own behavior. Aro wondered how much longer he would hold the complete loyalty of his most faithful hound.

Sarah's ability to discern, in her limited way, the greatest fears and desires of an individual was far more useful than her sadistic power over the newborns. Not for the first time, Aro considered separating Demetri from Joham's third daughter. He suspected that a change in the status quo would force introspection on Demetri's part, an introspection which would be quite dangerous. He would leave them together, for the time being. After all, if any of the various plans he had set in motion were successful, there would be nowhere for Demetri to go.

* * *

"You still have not sent the new phone to the Cullens?" demanded Benjamin. "Have you broken with the alliance but not yet shared that fact with the rest of us?"

"Do not overstep your bounds with me again. I have no patience for your adolescent bickering," said Amun to his young protégé. "My decisions for this coven are made with our future in mind."

"That's an admission of your choices, right there. I will leave you if you choose this path." This confrontation was a long time coming – Benjamin had waited as long as he could stand. Tia and Kebi were out, and he could confront Amun without involving them.

"The Cullens are heretics. Their unnatural lifestyle has warped their view of the Volturi." Amun was, as usual, inflexible.

"You demanded they come here in March, and the Volturi attacked them, openly. Did you have a part in that?" Benjamin had his suspicions, but nothing concrete. He had kept his mouth shut, constantly placated by Kebi. Her requests were important to him since, more than likely, she was the one to suffer the brunt of Amun's rage when Benjamin defied his sire.

Amun was silent for a moment. "I was not responsible. The Cullens were not careful."

"How can you know that? We have had no contact with the Cullens since the plane coming to us was destroyed."

"I have spoken with other members of the alliance."

"When? Which ones?" Benjamin was now in a full-out rage. He had been barely sixteen when changed, and he could revert to both the surly silence and the irrational rage of a teenager.

"This discussion is over. I will not speak with you again until your behavior is under your control."

Benjamin ground his teeth in silence. He had no proof. Until he was sure, he didn't feel right about separating Tia from the coven. He wished he could contact the Cullens on his own, but Amun had been very secretive about how they could be reached. Finally, he slipped out into the Cairo night. He would need to hunt to return to any semblance of a calm demeanor.

* * *

Thirty-eight! No one could possibly guess thirty-eight. Of course, her driver's license said thirty-one. She looked far better than she had ever looked at twenty-eight. Maybe even twenty-six. Having the money to pay for botox, collagen, and microdermabrasion was like dying and going to heaven. Everlasting beauty: that was what it was all about. Oh, one couldn't forget one's colorist. She would never have gray hair, not even when she was in her sixties. Pilates was ensuring that she wouldn't need a _surgical_ procedure for at least five years.

She turned a page of her magazine, and stopped mid-turn to admire the unbelievable manicure she had just gotten. This was definitely the right color, a perfect complement to the diamonds in her new ring. She twisted her hand slowly to the right and the left, mesmerized by how the light played off the diamonds and also the shiny surfaces of her manicure.

Yes, all of this was worth every minute she'd had to spend traveling to ridiculous places with that unbelievable bore Chandler. Who was named Chandler these days? And what kind of hobby was collecting…what had he called it? Incunabula? And art. Whatever. Old crap that David wouldn't let her sell or throw away. And, of course, all those days visiting Chandler in the hospital. At least that part had worked out properly. She flipped another page of the magazine. And she'd been able to get rid of Josh. David was still mad about that little improvisation of hers. Of course, if she couldn't get rid of Josh with restraining orders, there had been another plan to make sure all the money stayed hers. Mostly hers. She frowned a little. She kept hoping to find a way to make it all hers. Anyway, Josh might be young and inexperienced, but he was much better looking than Chandler. David had warned her she might still have to work on that plan. Josh was sadly well-connected in Atlanta – he might find a loophole in the will yet. Maybe she would invite Mr. Kimani Ellis to lunch. His wife was old – at least fifty. Surely Mr. Ellis would be amenable to suggestions she might offer. This might work even better than her plans for Joshua.

**AN2: Welcome back, Cold War readers! Chapter 1 is getting very close to being done. I hope this will tide you over a little and give some hints about things to come! If the style of the prologue remind you of The Wheel of Time, it was intentional (don't worry – no plans here for 11 (or is it 111) volumes). If it didn't remind you, don't worry about it. Please check my profile for the "Current Contests!" TCW is up for two.**


	2. Chapter 1: Summer's End

**Disclaimer: Everything in the Twilight universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**AN: Thank you edward-bella-harry-ginny for your beta skills! Your advice is invaluable, as always! Thanks also to Justine Lark for forcing me to clarify the nebulous!! And to sallyro for gracious editing and advice! (How many ways are there to say "thanks" for fixing my mistakes?)**

**And thank you to all the reviewers! I was so excited by all the responses to the very short and overdue prologue!**

_Summer's lease hath all too short a date_  
Sonnet 18, Shakespeare

Ch. 1. Summer's end

"I want to know what percentage of the purchases was made in order to annoy me," demanded Bella, a less than attractive whiny note to her voice.

"Oh, please, Bella. You're not clumsy, you can't feel the pain, and you know Edward loves you in heels," retorted an annoyed Rosalie from the driver's seat.

"How do you know Edward loves me in heels?" Bella asked, perturbed.

"He's a man, isn't he?" Rose argued.

"Bella, one doesn't have to be a mind reader to know that Edward loves the way you look in heels," I said, leaning between the front seats with a laugh. "It's written all over his face! Besides, I only made you buy the ones I could see you in," I told her confidently. It was true. Every shoe had a matching vision, albeit only of Bella's feet.

"That's just ridiculous, Alice. If you decide to buy me the shoes, of course you'll have a vision of me wearing them. I'm not going to waste the shoes." Bella was miffed, but I knew she'd get over it. She complained, but I had not seen her in raggedy athletic shoes in at least five years. That's when I'd conveniently "lost" her last pair.

The summer of 2026 was coming to a close. It was August third, and Rosalie, Bella and I were returning from a weekend trip to New York. I smiled to myself. The entire trip had evolved exactly as I had seen, including every objection Bella had raised to every new boutique we had visited. To make up for the abuse of our dear sister, we let her spend hours in four used bookstores. We still managed to purchase twelve pairs of designer shoes, three new handbags, and a garment bag crammed with dresses and gowns. For Bella. I wasn't about to count the purchases Rose and I had made on our own behalf. All in all, it had been gratifying and satisfying. And I had been able to spend hours seeing without having to share my visions with Edward.

The summer had been bittersweet. Carlisle had been working at the small regional hospital and reveling in his chosen profession for the first time in years. Esme had rapidly transformed another mansion situated on Pemadumcook Lake into a home for us. Meanwhile, the six of us Cullen children had been playing our part. We were six spoiled rich kids taking a leisurely summer break from college. Emmett, Edward, and I were playing Cullens while the rest played at being our society boyfriends and girlfriends. We had attracted some attention from the community, but we had been stand-offish enough to prevent any new attachments from forming. Never had our human charade seemed more ridiculous, yet it had been necessary. Lazy, stuck-up college students on summer break had no responsibilities, no appointments to miss, no commitments to break. To the outside world, we appeared to be at our leisure. Behind the mask, we had stolen moments of peace while desperately searching for evidence of what our future would hold.

We had all missed Renesmee fiercely. She and Jake had chosen to spend their summer in La Push with their nieces and nephews courtesy of Paul and Rachel. They were also able to spend time with Charlie and Billy Black, and Seth and Leah were happy to see their mother as well. We couldn't return to Forks without causing a stir, and La Push was off limits since there were so many Quileute adolescents. Still, I hadn't seen so clearly in years. Perhaps there was some slight dampening of my ability with Ness or Jake in proximity.

Jake and Renesmee had also left because we had had visitors. Many of them. Peter and Charlotte had been through four times, once taking Jasper with them. Garrett and Kate had come by more than once. They were staying nearby in Boston, maintaining a discreet watch (so they believed) over Joshua with the rest of the Denalis. Tanya was keeping a few secrets from them regarding the surveillance, but up until now everything was working out for her, so I hadn't spilled her dirty little secret. The Amazons had come once. Nahuel had come alone, but left shortly thereafter. Our throwaway cell phones had been ringing constantly. Even though we had made our peace with the FBI agent, the NSA still monitored high phone traffic to some foreign countries and we could not afford to attract their attention. We – our family and the allies – were preparing for war; we just didn't know with whom.

Rose and Bella were talking about what our family would do next. We had at most a month before we would have to enter college or else pack up and move again. We knew Maine was only short term, a quick escape from the disasters in Boston. I had seen we would have great weather in summertime Maine – overcast and foggy days. We had been outside hiking, hunting, boating, and playing water sports more than usual, and it had been freeing for us all. We had needed those moments, the respite from the waiting. Aro's March ultimatum hung over us. There was no way to be certain the Volturi had not entered our hemisphere, and we suspected they could not be sure we didn't invade theirs. So far, we had no evidence that they had instigated anything against us. Jasper had spent most of his energy looking for signs of any movement against us. The most evidence we had of our future came from my visions.

There were several, all hazy as if from an indeterminate, distant future. Somehow, given our circumstances, they were all possible. The least disturbing and the most recent ones were with Carlisle, Edward, and Rosalie all in white lab coats. Carlisle did not have his signature tie under the lab coat. This vision would occasionally flash to one with all three in lab coats and _sunglasses_. They were grim-faced and tight-lipped in the second flash, which was hazier and less defined than the first. The most disturbing vision always gave me chills. I had had similar visions throughout my life with Jas, some coming true and others narrowly averted. He was snarling, his eyes a fiery red. When he had left with Peter and Charlotte earlier in the summer, I had wanted to panic. Jas knew something was wrong, but when the vision gave no indications of coalescing to something more definite, I had relaxed. It was still a distant future. The final vision was the most puzzling. It was an absence of light and sound. I felt confident it was a full visual and aural vision, but completely lacking in any sensory input. It reminded me in some ways of my vague human memories.

I leaned back against the leather seat and searched. The nebulous future remained indistinct with few clues as to time, place, cause, or effect. Rose and Bella were still discussing the imminent move to our next location, so I allowed myself a moment. I opened myself up to Jasper's future, hoping to find something concrete, any hint that would let me take control. We were as close as two people could be, our very souls bonded to each other, but there were parts of him that I had never reached. The pain and viciousness and destruction of his years with Maria had forged part of him that he kept locked and hidden when he could. I knew Edward had seen some of it, but he didn't share with me either. It was in the past, so I would never experience it. This summer, Jas couldn't keep that part of him locked away. Peter always brought some of that to the surface, and he had visited repeatedly. Strategic planning also brought that side out. And once, many years ago in Calgary, Maria had burst into his life again, forcing that part to spill over, nearly making him a stranger to me. Some of the panic and anguish from that time was seething just below my consciousness. I had to control it when I was near him, but here in the absence of Edward and Jasper, I let myself feel. His aloofness when the memories came up was a defense against the pain. I knew it. But I still associated his distance with the bloodlust I knew Maria provoked in him, and I could see a potential incident on his horizon. The panic welled up for a moment, strangling my chest. I hoped Bella and Rose were caught up enough in their conversation that they wouldn't notice I wasn't breathing. Slowly, I relaxed myself. I would watch Jas, and I would be there when he needed me. I had to believe that.

I was seeing nothing of consequence, just little moments in the lives of my family (I would have to warn Bella about what Emmett was going to leave in her bathroom), when I was startled by the image of Stephanie, a nurse at Carlisle's hospital. She was deathly white, her eyes open and staring, her mouth open in a look of frozen horror. I could see the wound on her carotid. She had been drained. But by whom? My stomach clenched. It couldn't be Jas.

"Call your men," I asked my sisters urgently as I dialed Jas's number. I searched more frantically now as I waited for his phone to ring. Which one of us would attack so close to home? Would the blood overwhelm Carlisle after his long exile from medicine? Finally, Jas answered.

"Jas! I see Stephanie, that nurse who works with Carlisle at Millinocket Regional, drained of blood. I haven't seen who does it. Be cautious. Warn Carlisle." I hung up, knowing he would have things to attend.

I heard Bella and Rose repeat my warnings to Edward and Emmett and the whine of the engine as Rose slammed the gas pedal lower. I scanned our own futures, seeing us safely arrive in town. I was a little miffed that there wasn't even one highway patrolman for me to help Rose avoid.

"What exactly did you see?" asked Bella. Edward was still on the phone with her.

"Just give me the phone," I told her, giving her an eye roll and reaching over her shoulder into the front seat. "Yes, Edward?"

"Can you tell when?" he asked. I concentrated. The vision was still stable. I tried turning in the space of my vision, and only then realized that she was in Carlisle's office. The clock read 5:45 p.m.

"The body's in Carlisle's office. The time is 5:45 p.m. I still haven't seen the death." It was now 2:12 in the afternoon. We were just past Augusta. We would arrive before my vision, but would we arrive before she was killed?

"I think you would see if it was one of us," he answered.

"Yes. You're probably right." I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to focus on Stephanie. It wasn't one of us. It wouldn't be Jasper. I would have seen that.

My phone rang. "Jas is calling me," I told Edward. "Talk to your wife." I handed the phone back to Bella as I answered my own.

"Carlisle's been warned, and I'm outside the hospital," Jas told me. "The girl is already here, on her shift. Carlisle's getting her assigned to help him with a procedure, and I'm going to wait as close by as I can get. Emmett's going to stay outside."

"Thanks, Jas. My vision shows her body in Carlisle's office at 5:45 p.m."

"That could be one of us, moving her body, Lis."

"I know. I just wanted you to know."

"Gotta go. I need to meet Carlisle."

As my call ended, Bella handed me back her phone.

"Jasper and Emmett are watching at the hospital," I informed Edward.

"Yes, I got a text from Emmett," Edward replied. "Have you seen anything else?"

"You haven't given me a chance. Let me sit for a few minutes. We'll call again."

"Fine. I'll join Emmett."

I handed Bella her phone again. I leaned my head back on the seat again. The search for an event so close in time should have been a snap, but Stephanie was a human, and one I had previously had little contact with. I could only suppose that the trigger for the vision was the choice to put her body in Carlisle's office; that was the event that affected my family. I was now searching, not for her death, but for the choice to target Carlisle.

"Why Carlisle?" asked Rose suddenly, as if she had been following my train of thought. "Even if it's one of us who moves the body, it's still happening at the hospital."

"It has to be the Volturi," answered Bella. "No one else could have a grudge against Carlisle."

Now I saw him. He was young in appearance, younger even than Edward. He was thinner; frozen in time just past his awkward teenage phase. A few more months as a human and he would have filled out to a more adult appearance, but he would never achieve that now. He had dark hair and eyebrows over his ruby eyes, and like all of us, he was beautiful. I guessed him to be Latino. He carried Stephanie's limp body in his arms, but his head jerked suddenly, and he veered down the hallway in the hospital that led to Carlisle's office.

It was the scent. He didn't know us.

"Call them again," I commanded calmly.

Edward answered first, so Bella handed the phone back to me.

"He's a young vampire, dark hair, possibly Latino. He doesn't know about us. It's Carlisle's scent which draws him in."

"I don't believe in coincidences right now," Edward told me bleakly. "I'm sure we've been targeted."

"I'm sure Jasper agrees with you," I told him. "Don't kill him right away. We need to know how he chose central Maine."

"I expect it begins with 'D' and rhymes with 'emetri,'" boomed a loud voice in stereo through Bella's phone speaker and Rose's. Both Rose and I pulled the phones further away from our heads.

"I see you found Emmett," I commented.

"Yes. He's being extremely helpful, too," responded Edward dryly. Bella shook her head in amusement.

"Let me keep looking while you two watch for this young vampire," I told Edward, ending our call and returning Bella's phone.

Jasper's phone had gone to voicemail. I hung up and waited for him to return the call.

My mind automatically searched for Jasper's future. He had left Edward and Emmett in the parking lot, and was now with Carlisle, or would be in the next minute. Stephanie joined them, and he turned on his Southern charm. I could see she was at ease, and very pleased to be working with Carlisle. Jas left them, and headed towards the visitor's entrance to the hospital. I saw him pull out his phone.

I watched Carlisle's future, projecting further into the afternoon. He was careful to keep Stephanie at his side. A new vision impinged on my view of Carlisle. A new victim was chosen, left now in Carlisle's Mercedes. Instead of a nurse, there was a middle-aged woman slumped in the passenger seat of the car.

This time I went straight to the source.

"Hello? Alice, I'm busy right now," Carlisle informed me in a calm voice.

"Carlisle, you must ask Stephanie where she would have gone this afternoon if you didn't keep her with you. There's a different victim in the vision now, a middle-aged woman."

"That's right," Carlisle said, still calmly. "I'll call you back as soon as I have time."

"Call Edward first," I told him. "I'll probably see what she tells you before you do. Bye."

Rose and Bella were already updating Emmett and Edward about the change in the vision.

"I don't know; maybe she always takes a smoke break at the employee entrance," sniped Rose. "Use your brain. Maybe she would go to the post office."

I could hear Edward speaking with Bella through her phone. "I should be able to hear him if he gets anywhere near the hospital. The attack must be farther away." I could hear his frustration. I was frustrated, too. I could usually see visitors coming. I didn't understand how he could be so close to us without me seeing him.

I called Jasper. We were getting close to town now. "I heard your call to Carlisle," said Jasper at once.

"Hello to you, too," I teased.

"I'm in the hospital parking lot, now. This won't stop the attack, though. This is only a body dump. If I stay here, I'll just scare him off after the victim is already dead."

"I think you've been watching too many police procedurals."

"Emmett likes them." I could imagine Jasper shrugging his shoulders, but he would have a smile for me. I had a brief surge of anxiety over the vision of Jasper with red eyes, but that vision was still far into the future. It wouldn't happen today.

In the brief moment between our exchanges, I saw Stephanie telling Carlisle she meant to stop at the gift shop a block from the hospital to buy a card and a balloon bouquet for her mother's birthday.

"The gift shop, Jas. He stops in the gift shop." I saw the "call ended" screen on my phone. He was already gone, already searching. Bella and Rose updated their husbands.

I kept my watch on Carlisle, on Jas, on Emmett and Edward, and our return to Millinocket. I had thought that with Jas in place, my vision would change, and we would find the vampire before he found his victim.

It was nearly 3:30, and we would be in town shortly. And the vision finally hit. He would shortly step off a bus and head down the street that led to the gift shop. I called Jas.

"He's coming in on the bus, Jas. He'll be heading your way."

"The bus? That's pretty risky."

"The vision seems like a result of his choices when he enters town." I felt blind. I was going on only a few minutes' notice.

"Why do you think you didn't see him when he first decided to come to Millinocket?"

"I can only speculate, but I suspect the decision wasn't his." I'd had a few moments to think this through. "Edward suspects he was sent. I think it's possible I wouldn't see him coming if he was blindly following orders." And if the orders were coming from someone protected by a hybrid.

"I don't know if we've ever faced a similar situation," admitted Jasper. "Esme just arrived."

"Edward and Emmett are on their way from the hospital," announced Bella, clicking her phone shut.

"Good," Jasper responded to Bella's comment.

"We'll be there in 17 minutes," I informed him.

"Do we approach him?" asked Jasper. He was making choices, planning one strategy.

"No, not with Emmett in front. That's a disaster. I shuddered at the riot caused when the visitor reacted to seeing Emmett headed in his direction."

As soon as Jasper altered his strategy, the vision changed dramatically. "That's working, Jas. If you and Edward confront him at the gift shop, you'll be able to get him to go into the alley out back while Emmett cuts off his escape route."

"He doesn't try to get away?"

"He'll realize he's outnumbered. You need to wear sunglasses."

"Okay. Will you get here before or after?"

We weren't a part of Jasper's plan yet, so my vision did not include us. I could see our arrival in town, but when did Jas trap the young vampire?

"Jas! You didn't wear your watch today!" He hated jewelry. We didn't really need them to keep track of time, but it was very helpful to me when I had visions. It was unusual, but not unheard of, for him to go without it in these critical times

"I was in a hurry. Edward's probably got his."

Jas was right; Edward was obediently wearing his watch. "We'll be there eight minutes before the confrontation."

"Park in the alley behind the gift shop. I don't want him to find you until we've got him trapped."

My vision was now complete. I could see where to park and that we would successfully trap the young vampire, assuming nothing strange disrupted our plans or the vampire's decisions.

"What are you going to do with him?" I asked Jasper.

"That depends on what he's planning and why."

I didn't ask him any more. I knew Carlisle would not be able to get away from the hospital, and he had conceded what amounted to a "field command" to Jasper. The decision was on my mate's shoulders, and I would not distract him from doing what he thought was right.

I had a vision of Edward calling me and asking in his polite and brotherly way for me to review the vision of the vampire and the woman. I assumed the vision came from the fact that we had just entered the periphery of his gift and he could now hear me. Over the years, Edward and I had nearly perfected the art of silent communication; he of course could hear my thoughts, and I could see his plan-of-action in time to respond to his ideas. I reviewed the vision for him, letting him see the poor woman in Carlisle's car and the approaching young vampire. If my timings were right; Rose would get us parked in the alley only moments before the visitor arrived at the front of the shop.

I saw Edward asking Esme to keep the owner of the gift shop busy, and then Esme engaged in a conversation with the second woman I had foreseen; Edward had recognized her from my vision. _Clever thinking!_ I knew he would hear me.

Rose drove into town, slowing with the decreasing speed limit. A speeding ticket on any other day would have only added to our reputation as arrogant college brats, but today we were on a schedule. Negotiating the downtown streets, Rose found her way to the alley behind the gift shop and parked.

A short, wide driveway between the gift shop and a shut-down restaurant led to the alley. We were parked to the left of the drive, directly behind the gift shop, and Emmett waited in the right-hand portion of the "T," behind the boarded-up restaurant. The building opposite the gift shop and restaurant was a three-story brick warehouse with a row of tiny windows near the roofline. The long narrow alley led to streets at either end, but the view from both sides was blocked by a series of large green dumpsters. Apparently the alley was not currently in use other than as a parking lot behind the gift shop.

"Why the sunglasses?" asked Bella, pulling hers off the passenger-seat sun visor. Sunglasses had their uses, but they were a hindrance to our vision.

"He won't know right away that we're different," I told her. "It's important for some reason."

I pulled my pair out of my bag. "We should stay in the car, too, ladies. We don't want to add our scents to the mix until he's definitely trapped."

"How much longer?" asked Rose, her voice sounding bored. I suspected that she was as anxious as we were, but Rose was Rose.

"Four minutes." The vision of his capture was unchanged. We all froze to statues, none of us even breathing. Forcing the vampire into the alley would be difficult if he could tell there were already three of us waiting. It was a good thing that Esme was keeping the shop owner occupied; there was a backdoor from her shop into the alley. It would have been extremely bad for her to show up in the middle of a vampire battle.

"What do you want, man?" An unfamiliar voice broke our silence. The three of us were out of the car in a flash. The vampire was now trapped in the alley, with Edward and Jasper blocking his escape to the street, Emmett blocking his progress away from us in the alley, and the three of us cutting off his forward motion. We were all in sunglasses.

"We just want to talk," said Edward calmly, his palms up. _Good start._ The confrontation was proceeding successfully; I knew Edward was watching my visions while reading the opponent and taking Jasper's directions. If we kept this short, we would not be interrupted.

"What's your name?" asked Edward, his voice like melting butter. He was doing his best to be nonthreatening, and suddenly my vision was different. This vampire wasn't used to friendly vampires.

"Who are you people?" He was getting agitated. "You act like cops. 'What's my name?'" He mimicked Edward's softer tones in scorn. "Who are you?" He made a threatening move toward Edward.

"Our coven is living in this area. We don't appreciate others hunting on our territory." Edward had seen my resultant vision and taken a more aggressive stance. "We need to know why you're here and who sent you."

"You sound exactly like cops. I'll tell you the same thing I tell cops. No-thing. You'll get no names or reasons out of me." In a lightning move, he darted forward back, flicking off Emmett's sunglasses in the process. He let out a angry hiss. I didn't get warning of the move, and Edward was also unable to stop him in time. Emmett was shocked, and both he and Rose dropped into a fighting crouch. Rose was hissing angrily.

"Yellow eyes. I know who you are. You're the heretics. You're not real vampires." He looked around at us in disgust. I was becoming worried. He reminded me of a young werewolf, completely lacking in impulse control. I wasn't going to get advance notice of his moves. He appeared to be sizing up Edward, apparently not relishing the idea of taking on Jasper or Emmett.

And then, in a move that was fast even for a vampire, he swiveled and grabbed Bella by the neck, dragging her a few feet away from where she had stood between Rose and me.

All of us watched in horror as he backed slowly away from the rest of us, holding Bella in a half-nelson with one arm and across the front of her neck with the other. His teeth were bared in a clear threat to the rest of us.

I threw a frightened glance at Edward; there was no telling how he would respond to this situation. I hoped Jasper was using everything he had to calm Edward down. In fact, Edward's eyes were wild. _No, Edward! Bella will be all right, unless he has a blowtorch in his pocket. Stay calm!_

"Not as confident when your chica's caught? You're all weak. I'll just take her with me, and you can all wait for her to come back when I'm gone. You come closer, and chica's got no head." To prove his point, he gave a sharp tug on Bella, and she let out a low whimper, going nearly limp.

Something wasn't right about this.

"No, you can't take her," Edward begged. He looked like he was dying. I hadn't seen him like this since before Ness was born. "Just tell us what you want. Tell us what they wanted you to do."

"You get nothing from me." The young vampire sneered at us. I wondered if he was as confident as he appeared.

"That's where you're wrong." Edward stood tall. He had lost his look of panic. He looked more like the angel of death he had once imitated. "Your name is Enrico Martinez. You were sixteen when you got recruited into a "special" gang in Miami, only you had no idea how special it really was. Your "gang leader" sent you north without telling you what to do until about an hour ago. You look tough, but you know in your heart that you're about to die, this time for good."

Now only Enrico looked panicked. I had a feeling Jas was helping out with that. His loss of concentration was all that was needed. Bella spun in his grasp and with a horrifying screech Enrico's head fell to the ground at their feet. Edward crossed the alley instantly, pulling Bella out of the mindless arms that still imprisoned her. A human would hardly have registered the entire exchange, from the moment Enrico had grabbed Bella. Within another half second, Emmett had the decapitated body in the trunk in pieces, and Jasper stashed the head in the backseat on the floor. All the remaining evidence of our battle was the lingering sweet smell of leaked venom.

"Are we safe?" asked Bella, pressed against Edward's chest. She looked shaken.

"He's the only one I saw," I assured her, as I patted her shoulder.

"No humans saw us, and the ones who heard the end thought it was just traffic noise," agreed Edward. "We're safe now. You're safe."

"That's not how I had this planned," commented Jasper. "Good job, though, Bella. Those lessons with Rose and Emmett seem to be working."

"Not bad for a first real fight," said Rose, a hint of pride in her voice.

"You manipulated him well," Edward told Jasper.

"Likewise," Jas returned.

"I just did what you told me," said Edward. The two did a fist-bump over Bella's head, and I had to roll my eyes. Boys.

"This sucked!" said Emmett. "All these beautiful muscles and I didn't get to lay a hand on him. And he broke my sunglasses!"

We all laughed, the relief from the broken tension flooding us all.

"I'll get you a new pair, babe," cooed Rose. She gave him a peck and a hug, staying in the PG-13 range for once. "Okay, Alice, Bella. Get in. We're going home to burn the trash."

"I think I'll go home with Edward," said Bella. Rose nodded and turned to Emmett.

"We've got an empty backseat, babe. Well, almost empty."

"Sure, I'll ride in the back. Maybe I can get a little ahead on my plans for the day." Rose flicked Emmett on the shoulder, and Bella choked, not at ease with the joke.

Jasper was calling Carlisle to update him on the situation.

"Can he hear us?" asked Bella quietly. She was looking up into Edward's eyes while he held her. I wondered if he was going to carry her home. _She's all grown up now, Edward._

"No, I don't think so. It's like with Victoria. When the head is severed, I lose contact."

Bella nodded, and closed her eyes. I turned away to let the two have their moment.

Jas came over to me, his call over. "Thank you, Lis. Without you, this would have been a true disaster." He reached over and touched my chin, his beautiful golden eyes looking into mine.

"That's what they wanted," said Edward. "His only order was to kill at random in this town. He knew it was probably to encroach on another coven, only he thought of us as a rival gang. He was a killer even before he was turned. The Miami coven is getting its new members from the bloodiest humans it can find."

"If he came here, there had to be communication between Miami and Volterra. We're neither a threat nor even a concern to a Miami coven. This had to be a test, a way of probing our defenses," Jasper's voice trailed off as he got lost in thought. I assumed he was thinking through strategies. "By the way, Carlisle wants us all home for a family meeting in 15 minutes."

I got into the car with Rose and Emmett, and she pulled out of the alley. As we drove by, Esme waved at us while she exited the shop. She must have been panicked during the confrontation, knowing what we were up against but unable to help.

We had had our summer to regroup from the disasters of Boston, but it was over now. The first attack had come, and if Jasper was right, this was only the beginning.

**AN2: Whew! That took me a lot longer than I thought. **

**There are two awards sites open for nominations at the moment: The Sparkle Awards (thesparkleawards dot webs dot com) and The Moonlight Awards (themoonlightawards dot yolasite dot com). The Cold War has been nominated on both sites, as have stories from Justine Lark, edward-bella-harry-ginny, and EliseShaw. Voting is on October 14 – 24 for Moonlight and on October 16 – November 8 for Sparkle. (You can nominate at Sparkle until the 15****th**** at 10 am.)**

**I want to thank Stina Riz from twifans dot com for reccing The Cold War on her blog. See my profile for details! (It was really exciting for me.) I recognize some of the new readers from her site, so hey!**


	3. Chapter 2: Forgotten but not Gone

**Disclaimer: Everything in the Twilight universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer. **

**AN: Thanks to all of you reading and reviewing! I really enjoy our conversations! **

**I can't explain how important Edward-bella-harry-ginny is to the continuation of this story. Apparently I am an anxious writer who needs her (virtual) hand held through the scary parts. Thanks for all the support and beta-ing!**

**Thank you to Justine Lark for her always incisive comments on my drafts!**

**And another thanks to sallyro for making some really helpful suggestions on this chapter.**

_Memory, the warder of the brain,  
Shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason,  
A limbeck only.  
_Macbeth, Act I, scene vii. Shakespeare.

Ch. 2. Forgotten but not gone

The second to the last student placed his paper on the tall stack already on the desk, and I heard the Doxology in my head. The singing was loud, with eight-part harmony, and the lush notes of the organ laid the foundation for the sweet sopranos, altos, tenors and basses in the choir. In my daydream, I was standing in the center of Uncle Kimani's home church, beautiful rays of sunlight falling on me from the stained glass window. Praise God, indeed. The summer of constant yearning was coming to an end. It was the last day of class in the summer session, and Freshman Comp did not have a final exam, only a final paper. After today, I would not have to return to this classroom for at least three weeks. The last student slowly made her way to the front of the room. She had been fumbling with her backpack and her cell phone and a couple of pens, not that I had been looking at all. Right. If I hadn't been looking, how did I know that she was wearing her black skirt that went below the knee and the white, long-sleeved blouse with the ruffly thing going down the front? She wore more clothes than any of the female students in my class, and her hair was always pulled back in a conservative bun. She was slowly driving me insane.

"Mr. Clemson," she purred at me, her Russian accent making my very ordinary name sound exotic. She could turn any words into a seduction, but when it was my name coming through her lips, I was undone. Every time. Every single time.

"Ms. Doletskaya." Her green eyes were riveted into mine, and I once again had the odd sense that her eyes were just a little bit off, the wrong color. It was her only imperfection.

"My paper." She handed me her paper, and we did our usual dance where she passed me an object and our hands would not touch.

"Thank you," I told her. I had several other things on the tip of my tongue, but right now she was still my student. I would turn in final grades in four days' time, and then all bets were off. I thought I could wait at least a few hours after turning in the grades before I called her. I had her phone number since she often came to my office hours with questions, and sometimes I would be late getting back to the office if my other class ran late. I needed to be able to text her to let her know I was still heading to the office, that she didn't need to leave. Right. Interesting how this summer I had more trouble getting back to the office from class than I had ever had before. I had saved every text we had exchanged. They were all really quite boring, things like "Sorry, running late again" and "Of course, I can wait 10 more minutes." I had read and reread them, hopeful that one more perusal would tip me off about her opinion of me.

And the office hours themselves. Never had I been so thorough in explaining grammar, sentence structure, thesis statement, narration style, or tense. Of course, Sasha was not a native English speaker, so she really did need the extra help. Right. It had nothing to do with my need to sit close enough to her to lose myself in her scent while she gave me that look and repeatedly called me "Mr. Clemson." We never touched, at least, not since the first day of class. Somehow, she had understood that there was a line that we couldn't cross. I was endlessly thankful because there was no way I would have been able to express it verbally.

I cleared my throat. "I should have the grades posted in about four days. I'm sorry for the wait, but as you can see I have a lot of reading to do." I gestured towards the giant stack of papers.

"Of course, Mr. Clemson. I have no problem with waiting." There were so many different interpretations to her casual statement that for once I wished she would just come out and tell me what she really meant. Did she feel this, too? I had wondered often if the connection between us was solely in my imagination. She had never done anything overt to encourage me or to suggest she was interested in me. And yet, if I didn't know any better, I would say she was waging the world's longest, slowest seduction while I desperately maintained a professional distance. Our soundtrack should have been Ravel's Bolero. If Sasha was really luring me in intentionally, she had to be the world's most skilled seductress. Four days, and I would call her, and I would finally know.

"Good-bye, then," she said. She smiled at me over her shoulder, and walked out the classroom door. There was no unnecessary swaying, just her graceful, feminine exit. I realized moments later that I was still staring at the empty doorway.

I packed up my papers and headed back to Carney Hall and my office cubicle. The summer was over, and I fervently hoped the fall would give me a fresh start on everything.

I had certainly had worse summers. For example, this summer was nothing compared to when I left grad school to stay in Atlanta with my father and that woman he married to watch as he slowly, painfully succumbed to cancer. Nothing would ever compare to that. The grief I had for the loss of my mother was a child's grief. I missed her, but I was not privy to the agonies she suffered. With my father, I could see every loss of freedom, every increase in pain, every lost moment when the morphine fogged his mind. And every one of those precious memories, the moments of lucidity he would have before the pain overtook him again, every one was tainted with Sylvia's presence.

Even though there were worse summers in my past, this summer was not exactly ideal. I would characterize it with one word: frustrating. Work had been bearable at best. I couldn't settle on a thesis topic, and Dr. Howeson had become annoyed with my waffling. Freshman comp was every English grad student's nightmare, and I had two sections to teach. I had fallen prey to a late-developing case of Adult ADHD, and I couldn't seem to concentrate for more than ten minutes at a time. Last, but certainly not least, I was watching the woman of my dreams from afar. Sasha was beautiful, fascinating, and completely untouchable by me while she was my student. I shouldn't even have been looking, but it wasn't possible to refrain. I found myself lecturing to her eyes, ignoring the rest of the classroom.

I settled in my cubicle, and absently sorted through all the papers, stapling the ones where lazy students had dog-eared the pages to keep their work together. How could they spend hours writing their paper and then neglect to staple it? I shook my head. Maybe next semester I would take off points for that. I organized the papers from best to worst, and then put them in my briefcase. I knew that, in the past, I would be able to sit at my desk and whip through 8-10 papers before the day was out. I'd learned this summer that attempting to do so now was asking for three hours of frustration. I'd have to wait until the morning to discover how the students had responded to their final assignment, personal analysis through the description of a treasured object. The assignment was a standard in the department, and, having taught the class before, I knew that I was likely to find a few I could put in the "TMI" category. I had a few suspicions about what I was getting based upon the warm-up assignments we had discussed in class.

"Josh! Are you going to make it out with us?" Nan spoke more loudly than usual as she rushed to her desk across from mine. She looked happy and flushed, and I guessed that she had finally asked the mysterious psychology grad student to join us for drinks.

"Who, exactly, is 'us'?" I asked in amusement.

"Oh, you know, the usual. You, Dan, Melinda, Rob, Chris, and Laura."

"Is that all?" I asked.

"Well, I may have asked Peter, too."

"So, that's his name," I teased her. "Definitely a good, strong, masculine name."

"Anyway," she continued, ignoring my comments. "You didn't answer my question. Are you joining us?"

"I suppose. I have nothing better to do."

"Very charming. Nice to know we're your entertainment of last resort." Her words were at odds with the soft, happy look on her face.

"Where are we going, by the way?"

"Angelico's."

Oh. I hadn't been there since the last time I'd gone with Randall. It seemed like another lifetime, but it had been less than a year. It was August now, and that had been March. No big deal. It was just a bar.

"Okay. When are we meeting?"

"It's the last day of the summer session, and Dan's last class ends in 30 minutes, so we were just going to walk over now. That way, we'll all be ready when Happy Hour starts."

Ah, yes. Happy Hour at Angelico's was synonymous with free dinner for grad students. They usually served enough chicken wings, cheese, and crackers to make the volume of a meal if not the nutritional content.

"That's like a thirty minute walk, you know," I commented. Dan had once had trouble with bursitis.

"We can take the T if you're going to be whiny about it," Nan responded absently. She was packing up her stuff.

In the end, we all left our stuff in the office and took the T to Angelico's. Peter was a pleasant guy, not quite my height with dark hair and olive-toned skin. He was well-dressed for the warm day, with a button-down shirt, tie, and slacks. As he met everyone in our group, I decided he and I would get along until Nan introduced me to him as we walked to the T station. He lost his smile as we shook and afterwards gave me the cold shoulder. I glanced at Laura, who was probably the most acute observer in the group, but she was walking behind us, busy talking to Rob. A few minutes later, Dan asked me about my thesis topic choices, and I forgot about Peter's snub as I found new ways to describe my disinterest in chivalric poetry of southern France. I had no earthly idea where Dr. Howeson had gotten the bug to have me work on epic love stories to discuss their idealization of life and love. She wanted me to develop a thesis relating the lack of realism to current romantic literature, particularly some book about a vampire. What was it with her? I respected her as a scholar and she was a fairly pleasant person to work with, but I didn't understand her obsession with vampire literature. Something told me my career would be much safer if I avoided vampires like the plague.

Once we had secured two tables in the middle of the floor, I went to the bar to get drinks for Laura, Melinda, Dan and myself. Apparently, Peter had volunteered to get drinks for his end of the table, and we found ourselves standing together at the bar. I stood next to him uncomfortably for a moment, and then decided I would just get it over with.

"Did I do something to offend you?" I asked in as friendly a tone as I could.

"Not exactly," he said reluctantly. He turned his head slightly, but still not fully facing me. "I guess I've heard enough stories from Nan to be concerned when you're with her."

I stiffened in surprise. "I would apologize, but frankly I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't recall doing anything wrong to Nan."

He chuckled, but it didn't sound like he was amused. "Nan told me you were the most clueless man on the planet, but I guess I didn't believe her until now."

"Perhaps she's right because I still don't know what you're talking about." I was beginning to dislike Peter.

"I suppose it's nothing to you. She thought you were pretty close until after you came back from your leave of absence."

I wondered if I would ever find the end to this, the ripple effect from my breakdown after Dad's passing. Now I could add "bad friend" to the list.

"Look, Peter. I don't think I owe you any explanation, although I guess Nan deserves one. Things happened the year I was away, and I'm not really over all of it yet, although it's getting better. I had no idea that Nan was affected."

"Okay. But like I said, most clueless man on the planet." Peter finally got his order in and went back to the table.

I waited for the bartender to take my order and tried to figure out what I had done, other than get wrapped up in work and the crazy party life I had lived with Randall. When I finally got back to the table, it was nearly happy hour, and everyone ran for the food line except for Laura and me.

"She's not trying to make you jealous. She really likes Peter a lot." Laura eyed me over the rim of her glass.

"Why would I be jealous?" Was it non sequitur night?

"You know, you and Nan were tight once upon a time." Laura gave me a knowing look.

"Nan is great. She's the best friend I've had since I came to grad school, but there's never been anything between us," I insisted.

I knew Laura was saying something to me, but I was distracted by the sight of long, strawberry blonde, flowing hair. The person's back was to me, but she was the right size to be Sasha, and she was sitting with two of the older guys from the class. They were big guys, both athletes retaking the course in the summer. I had found them both to be friendly, good-humored guys, but suddenly I was ready to punch them both out. I excused myself from the table to head to the restroom. I would be able to pass right by their table.

"Mr. Clemson!" Mark, the blonde jock waved me down. His friend Joey was African-American and from near Atlanta. He was vaguely familiar with my Uncle Kimani who was gaining a fair amount of support from the community in the political arena.

I wandered over to their table. "Mark, Joey, Sasha." I tried to be equally friendly to all three. "I don't usually run into freshman comp students in the bars."

"We're all 21! That's why it's just the three of us," Mark told me with a grin. "You want to join us for a round?"

"Sounds nice, but not really appropriate since I'm about to grade your last assignment."

"Just one drink, Mr. Clemson?" asked Sasha with a demure look. I decided to go for it.

"Maybe in four days?" I winked at her, and headed quickly for the restrooms.

Oh geez. I winked at her, in front of two other students. I hoped I hadn't looked like someone with a tic; I didn't wink at people. My face got a little hot with the delayed embarrassment, and I splashed water on it. I wanted to stick my head in the toilet and give myself a swirly. It would have been the perfect cap to the night. What could possibly happen next?

Luckily, I escaped any further humiliation for the rest of the evening. I kept my distance from Nan and Peter and kept my eye on Sasha. I might have had a few too many beers, and I ended up calling a cab for home just after Sasha left (alone) in her own cab.

The next morning, I dragged my sorry self out of bed when the alarm went off at seven. I realized as I pulled on running clothes that I had no car and all my papers were at work since I had taken a cab straight home from Angelico's. I was ready to be in a bad mood for the foreseeable future, but as I stepped outside I saw the day was incredibly sunny and unbelievably crisp for August. I couldn't help but smile as I jogged towards the park I ran in. As soon as I finished reading the papers, I would be free of schoolwork for weeks. I could completely focus, at least, as much as I could focus on anything these days, on making a decision about thesis topics. I was going to tell Dr. Howeson exactly what I thought of writing about fictional vampires. I was going to call Sasha and ask her out on a date.

As I ran on the paths snaking through the park, I realized at least one good thing had come out of the summer. I had lost all the flab I'd collected after I'd been cut off from _Il viaggiatore_ and Bella Libri had burned down. It felt good to work off all the energy. I nodded at the other regulars jogging through the park. There was a trio of older women who were usually walking together when I ran, and I gave them a friendly wave and a slightly breathless "Hello ladies" as I passed them.

When I got back to the apartment building, I could feel myself starting to crash. My legs were shaking a little, and I realized I might have overdone it, just a bit. I took the elevator to my floor as I was overcome with lust for the bagel and the banana waiting in my kitchen. As I stood eating over the kitchen sink with my hair and clothes plastered to me by sweat, a memory of my mother hit me hard. I was about eight years old, and I was coming in the house wet and dirty from trying to catch minnows in a nearby drainage ditch. I wished I knew what I had looked like, because Mom seemed to be trying to hold back laughter as she forced me into the bath. "It's not wrong to be dirty," she told me. "It's just wrong to stay dirty." Sometimes the memories made me sad, but this one left me feeling a little less alone.

After showering, I debated taking a cab versus the T. I decided there was no point in being a trust fund kid if I didn't splurge occasionally. I arrived at work at about nine, grabbing a coffee and settling in at my desk. The paper on top of the stack was Sasha's. Well, I had organized them from the best student to the worst, and she had blown me away with every assignment. Her writing was sophisticated, her word usage was bordering on poetic, and her imagery was vivid. I had taken points off for some minor grammatical errors, but other than that, she had a nearly perfect grade in the course. I remembered the last visit she had made to my office hours as we discussed the final paper.

"_Mr. Clemson, please explain to me how a material possession is the subject of our final paper but we are also to discuss our feelings." Sasha's brow was furrowed as she tried to make sense of the topic. Her hand seemed to reach for my forearm, but suddenly diverted back to her lap._

"_I can give you an example," I offered. "Several months ago, I discovered an unmutilated copy of a manuscript titled Il viaggiatore. It was at a bookstore about two hours north of here, and is one of only two suspected copies which still exist. The other is purportedly in Italy. I spent weeks visiting the book store and studying the manuscript, and I think I was only days away from finishing my thesis and moving on to the next stage of my life. Without warning, the owner of the manuscript withdrew permission for me to study it, and before I could speak with anyone about it, the bookstore itself burned down. _

"_If I were to write a paper, I could write about how I had a type of possession, however fleetingly, of a manuscript which represented my future. When my relationship with the manuscript was broken, my future changed abruptly. I might analyze how such loss can force you to reevaluate who you are, what you are doing, and your future plans."_

"_Mr. Clemson, I am very sorry," Sasha murmured, and her eyes glistened a little. "Please excuse me; I need to use the restroom." She hurried away with her purse. I was surprised at her reaction; I didn't think I had revealed how painful the topic was for me._

_When she returned, she apologized again. "What did the owners of the bookstore say to you?"_

"_Nothing, really. They sent me a letter. I didn't know them very well, so I'm not surprised. I really only spent time there working on the manuscript. It was a great opportunity to study, even if it didn't work out the way I wanted."_

Now I had her final paper in my hands. Sasha had written about a necklace, a silver crescent moon pendant on a silver chain. Her mother had given her the necklace only days before her own death in childbirth, apparently. The paper detailed the closeness of their relationship and her mother's request that Sasha watch over her younger sisters. She wrote of her sense of betrayal when her mother was gone, and the self-discipline she was forced to cultivate in caring for her sisters. All the information was woven together in a theme of forgiveness, letting go of her anger towards her mother and forgiving herself for being angry about being abandoned.

The paper was personal and beautiful, and I was stunned. I read it twice, and couldn't bring myself to make a mark on it.

"Josh?"

"Hmm?"

"Josh, if you look at me, I'll have a better feel for whether you're actually listening."

I turned my head and discovered that Nan was at her desk.

"I'm guessing you're reading Miss Moscow's paper?"

"Uh, yeah."

"You always get that look on your face and make little sighing noises when you read her stuff," she told me with a smirk. "Do you need me to read it to make sure you're not inflating her grade?"

"It might help," I admitted with embarrassment, handing Nan the paper.

I tried to read the next paper in the stack, but I couldn't stop checking to see what Nan was doing. She was reading, frowning, taking sips of coffee, reading, frowning, waving her pen in the air, clicking her pen, reading.

"If you don't stop watching me, I'm going to quit now," she hissed without looking up.

"Sorry." I turned back to the paper I was trying to read.

"It is the best paper I've read in a while," Nan finally told me. "Did she do something to you in class or something?"

"No," I stared at Nan in bewilderment.

"Even you should be able to tell that this is an attempt at apologizing and asking forgiveness."

"First of all, what do you mean by 'even you,' and secondly, what the heck are you talking about?" I was not an idiot, but this was the third time in 24 hours that I had basically been told that.

"Josh, you are a great guy, and I care about you a lot, so please take this the right way. You. Are. Clueless." Nan was on the verge of breaking into laughter.

I scratched the back of my head. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"Josh, how many students have you had that visit you in your office at least twice a week?"

"I guess just one."

"You don't really believe that she's this desperate to become a better writer, do you?"

"Maybe?" Was Nan really telling me that Sasha was interested in me?

"Fine. Let me just spell it out for you. She likes you. She wrote you a complicated love note/apology whatever this is, disguised as a freshman comp assignment. I'm guessing she stalked you last night at the bar, just like she makes sure she sees you every day, either in class or in here. Call her, take her out on a date, and do not delay, because even if you can't tell she likes you, I promise I can tell that you like her." Nan's look had degenerated from amused to exasperated.

"Are you sure?" I asked, slightly intimidated.

"Just do it, Clemson." Nan shook her head and handed me back Sasha's paper.

I finished grading all my papers two days later, and then had the painful task of figuring out where the boundaries were between the "A's," "B's," and "C's." The failing grades were a little easier to find. Lack of attendance and failing to turn in papers usually led to not passing the class. On the fourth day, I entered my grades into the university computer system and printed out and signed hard copies for the departmental office.

I wandered back to my cubicle and felt a warm sense of happiness to see everyone still desperately grading papers. Dan shot me an annoyed look as he scribbled in red pen on a paper. Melinda looked like she hadn't slept in days, and her dark brown hair was completely hidden under a baseball cap. Laura was actually wearing what looked like pajamas and was chugging an energy drink. I realized that I had it back; I'd managed to focus for three whole days. I wanted to feel bad for everyone else, but we all had approximately the same amount of work to do in the same amount of time.

I decided to capitalize on my buoyant feelings and wandered out to the green outside the building. I sat on my favorite bench and pulled out my cell phone. I clicked on the contacts button, and my finger hovered over Sasha's name. I was really going to do it. Just before I hit the "Send" button, my phone rang, and Kimani's name flashed on the screen.

"Hello? Kimani?"

"Josh, I think you need to come to Atlanta."

**AN2: Ch. 3 returns to action at the Cullens'. I will not be alternating POVs in consecutive chapters because a lot more is happening with the Cullens, but I felt like a Josh update was a good thing at this point.**

**There are two awards sites open for voting at the moment: The Sparkle Awards (thesparkleawards dot webs dot com) and The Moonlight Awards (themoonlightawards dot yolasite dot com). The Cold War (by me) has been nominated on both sites, and Masen and Swan: In the Windy City (by me and ebhg) is up for best collaboration at The Moonlight Awards (you can't vote for it until round 2). Stories from Justine Lark, edward-bella-harry-ginny, and EliseShaw are also nominated. If you haven't read those yet, they're fantastic. Voting is on October 14****– 24 for round 1 of Moonlight and Oct. 26 – Nov. 5 for round 2 according to their site. Sparkle voting is October 16 – November 8. I encourage participation because it encourages the authors!**


	4. Chapter 3: Analysis

**Disclaimer: Everything in the Twilight universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**AN: Thanks to you readers and reviewers! This has been really fun so far!**

**Thanks AS ALWAYS to edward-bella-harry-ginny for her invaluable advice.**

**Thanks also to Justine Lark for her assistance with this chapter.**

**Both of you guys are great**

**More at the bottom on the Twilight Anniversary Challenge! (Ends Nov. 30)**

_It's not enough to speak, but to speak true._

_Sonnet 18, Shakespeare_

Ch. 3. Analysis

Alice, Rose, and Emmett pulled out of the alley leaving me with Bella and Jasper. I was still clutching Bella to me. I had planned a very different reunion with her from the one we'd had. Our separation during her shopping trip with Rose and Alice had been three days long. Three days _too_ long. I was both relieved and overjoyed to have her back, but I was also very worried about how killing the strange vampire would affect her. I had never been able to envision Bella as a fighter; her defensive gift had given me hope that her strategic value would always necessitate she remain protected and be relieved of an active role in battle. Her initiation into killing was one more way I had failed her.

"I'll go to the hospital and get your car, Edward," Jasper told me. _Your emotional kaleidoscopes are about to give me a twitch. I feel like I'm in a tornado. She's proud of herself and sad as well, but her internal conflict is a dust devil next to your category 5 hurricane. She's proud. Don't take that away from her._

I tossed Jasper my keys, and he left us alone. Jasper was right. I couldn't let my guilty conscience take away from Bella's accomplishments.

"We don't have much time, Bella. We should go home." I kissed her on the forehead as I gripped her to my chest, and she made a happy noise. I wanted nothing more than to be alone with her to reaffirm that she was still mine. Unfortunately, we were expected back home.

"Everyone's out of earshot now," I whispered.

"What do we tell them about the fight?" she asked in a low tone. Bella's ability to peel away her shield and give me access to her mind was still our secret. The fight would have been quite different if I hadn't known about Bella's idea to lure Enrico into a false sense of security. I felt compelled to review the whole confrontation again, wanting to be sure that there was no other option.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Yellow eyes. I know who you are. You're the heretics. You're not real vampires." Enrico surveyed us with disgust. He was impulsive, but not stupid. He had immediately realized Emmett and Jasper were dangerous and was narrowing down his choices among the rest of us. Alice had no vision, so his choice was not yet made. Surrounded by six hostile vampires, he should have been near panic, but he was chillingly calm. He had been in situations worse than this as a human, ones where survival was unlikely. His relative youth made him dangerous; he did not fear the end because he had never considered it. And he was not afraid of the weak, yellow-eyed heretics. He did not recognize us as vampires.

His move to take Bella was fast; it happened before the thought fully formed in his head. He was like a human reflex, some short circuit allowing him to commit to an action before he considered it. He was unintentionally confounding both me and Alice.

I was ready to launch myself at him; there was nothing that could stop me from tearing him away from Bella. Before I could move, my families thoughts bombarded me from all sides.

_No, Edward! Bella will be all right, unless he has a blowtorch in his pocket. Stay calm_**! ** Alice's mental voice had no effect on my plan.

_Edward! He doesn't believe I'm a threat. Let's use that. He thinks we're not real vampires. _Bella managed to succeed where Alice had failed. Knowing that she was in control gave me the confidence to control myself.

_She's okay, Edward. She's trying to help us here. Keep talking with him; he doesn't see you as a threat._ Jasper's plan was solidifying, bolstered by Bella's underlying composure.

_Can't attack with Bella so close. When I get my hands on him, he'll be in small pieces. No one touches my Emmett but me._

_Edward! Make sure you give me a signal if I'm supposed to go in. I can't see your plans the way Pixie Chix can. _I moved one hand so a restraining palm was extended towards Emmett. It was a subtle move, but Emmett was watching for it. _Okay. Standing by. Over and out._

"Not as confident when your chica's caught? You're all weak. I'll just take her with me, and you can all wait for her to come back when I'm gone. You come closer, and chica's got no head." Decapitation wasn't as final for a vampire as for a human, but it was likely quite painful.

Enrico pulled Bella's head sharply to the side, exposing her neck to his teeth. Bella whimpered, and went limp as if she was resigned to her fate. I thought she might be overdoing it a bit, but, bolstered by a surge of confidence from Jasper, Enrico was unsurprised by her apparent weakness and our uncertainty.

_Something isn't right about this._ Enrico may not have noticed Bella's abysmal acting, but Alice wasn't fooled.

"No, you can't take her," I begged. My acting was just a bit better than Bella's, but honestly, I didn't have to try hard to act in this situation. It was only Bella's reassurance that was keeping me from flying apart. I didn't think that it was possible for me to live long enough to get used to seeing her in danger, even as virtually unbreakable as she was. "Just tell us what you want. Tell us what they wanted you to do." I didn't expect him to answer aloud, but asking the appropriate question would typically cause the answer to leap to mind. People did not protect themselves from a telepathic interrogator.

I saw in his mind flashes of the streets of Miami at night, of a hideout behind a stripper bar, of lonely street prostitutes he had taken to feed on, and of his coven. Their leader, Rick, was a male in his mid-twenties when turned. He was ruthless and ambitious, and hungry for territory, power and money. He was by no means the typical vampire, and his lifestyle included regular interactions with humans. He was living the life of a drug dealing gang leader, including the firearms. Enrico was remembering being taken aside and given this task as a test. His final instructions hadn't come until he was on the bus from Augusta, and he hadn't recognized the voice over the phone. He assumed he was killing indiscriminately as a warning to a rival coven. With any luck, he hoped to make the environment too dangerous for us to remain. He was expecting vampires, but not quite so many.

"You get nothing from me." Enrico was calculating how far he could get with Bella in tow. Enrico was considering the decapitation since Bella's head would be easier to carry than her full, conscious, struggling body. I calculated whether he was likely to be able to outrun me.

_Now, Edward. I think he's going to make a move soon. Distract him_**.** Bella was calculating her chances of surprising him with an attack.

Jasper sensed Bella's determination, and sent a wave of confusion and indecision to Enrico. _Edward, keep him off balance. Bella's deciding to make a move!_

I stepped in to finalize his distraction. "That's where you're wrong. Your name is Enrico Martinez. You were sixteen when you got recruited into a 'special' gang in Miami, only you had no idea how special it really was. Your 'gang leader' sent you north without telling you what to do until about an hour ago. You look tough, but you know in your heart that you're about to die, this time for good."

Jasper's waves of indecision and my surprise knowledge had frozen Enrico's plans. He lost his concentration, and Bella made her choice to move.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Bella's mental voice pulled me back to the present. _How do we explain what I did?_

I dearly hoped Alice's vision of this moment was only visual and that it was boring enough that she dismissed it. Just in case, I leaned as close to Bella's ear as I could and whispered, hoping that Alice wouldn't care to watch us apparently making out. "First, I want you to explain to me why you thought lifting your shield in front of a strange vampire was a good idea."

_I didn't. I had the outer shield on the whole family. I only peeled back the inner shield. You were the only one who could get through to me._

"I didn't know you could do that." Bella never ceased to amaze me.

_Neither did I! First time. I think it was the desperation._

"We tell the family everything except that you were communicating with me. Jasper knew you were planning to make your move; he could feel it, and he told me about it. Most of the fight would have been the same regardless. You did prevent me from making a rash move." Or two. I inhaled her scent and let it calm me, although I could still smell Enrico on her. I knew, intellectually, that she was no longer breakable, but I would never be able to watch her in danger without wanting to intervene. It wasn't a matter of trusting Bella's abilities. She was the source of my strength and my greatest weakness at once. I feared nothing more than losing her. I was certain I could endure torture from Jane and Sarah for a millennium if I knew Bella was safe.

"He was my first kill." I squeezed her tighter.

"I know, Bella. I know. It was on my mind from the moment you let me know you had it under control. I wish I could have prevented this."

"I don't know whether to be proud I protected you and our family, or sad that I took his life. He was young, immature, and sadly misinformed. It was such a waste." Trust Bella to feel sorry for her would-be murderer.

"If he hadn't attacked, we wouldn't have killed him. You did the right thing."

"I know; I just don't like that it was necessary." Bella sighed and nuzzled her head further into my chest.

"Come on, love. We've got to get home. I think I want to get you cleaned up. I can still smell him on you."

"Sweetheart?" Bella said softly.

"Mmm?"

"We can't walk home unless you let go of me, just a little bit." I felt her face move into a smile.

"Just one more moment." In the end, I held her close as we strolled through town, and I didn't let go of her hand as we ran through the woods.

We were the last to reach the house, but not by much. Emmett and Jasper were unloading body parts from Rosalie's car while Carlisle supervised. He was troubled.

_How is Bella holding up?_

I gave him a look, trying to convey my worry and her conflict. From his reaction, I knew he had actually perceived my message.

_Keep an eye on her; she may have a stronger reaction over the next few days._

One eyebrow let him know that I had no intention of letting Bella alone anytime soon. I was convinced her pride at protecting the family would eventually lose out to her tender heart. Once the bonfire got started, her actions would become irrevocable.

The entire family was gathered in the yard behind the house, and with Jasper, Emmett and me working quickly, there was soon a large fire blazing. We disposed of Enrico while Carlisle watched. He was unsettled, and it took a lot of concentration to stay out of his head. The ladies watched us in silence, their thoughts somber as a life ended before their eyes. When nothing remained of Enrico but the fragrant smoke climbing to the darkening sky, we filed into the house.

"I'd like to discuss this afternoon with everyone," began Carlisle as Emmett closed the glass door to the yard.

"Showers first," announced Esme at the foot of the stairs. "You all smell like wood fires."

We all scattered without hesitation for our respective rooms.

"I can go first," Bella said over her shoulder. She was already stripping as she hurried toward our bathroom. I managed to snag her by the elbow.

"We're not in that much of a hurry, are we?" I asked. I cocked my head. There were similar scenes playing out in other rooms around the house, some more loudly than others. I winced a little at what was happening a floor below us in Emmett and Rosalie's room.

Bella observed me solemnly, still holding her blouse by the collar. "You said I still smelled like…him."

"You do. I thought it would be more expedient, economical even, if I helped clean that from your skin."

Bella giggled. "I guess we shouldn't waste opportunities. It wouldn't be good time management."

It was less than thirty minutes later that we were all gathered at the dining table. Carlisle began our discussion. "Who was responsible for this attack?" he asked, his eyes focused on me.

"The vampire, Enrico, came from a Miami coven," I told the family. "Given its size, I would guess it is the only coven in Miami. The leader is named Rick, and he sent Enrico on the trip north. The final order to come to Millinocket and find a target to kill came from an unknown person."

"I'm going to analyze his cell phone when we're done," offered Jasper as he held up the small silver device.

"Do you think it was the Volturi?" asked Esme.

"Very likely," began Jasper. "We considered this scenario once before – a southern coven offered amnesty for crimes in return for our demise."

"Edward, do you think this likely based upon what you heard about their coven?" asked Carlisle.

"It's a distinct possibility," I said. Several of Enrico's random thoughts organized themselves in my head. "Rick has been actively recruiting from the street gangs of Miami, and he is a high level drug dealer. He's using the underworld of Miami to build a monetary empire as well as a ruthless vampire guard of his own. He's been doing this for several years."

"That wouldn't go unnoticed," Jasper mused. "His activity may be masked from the humans by the constant fighting in that city, but I doubt the Volturi would have missed the signs. They may have bided their time until he became useful."

Carlisle nodded, and then steepled his fingers in thought. "Why do you think they sent a lone vampire to randomly kill here?" He had his own opinion, but was interested in how Jasper in particular had viewed the situation.

"The obvious reason was to disrupt our life here," Jasper said. "The way it was done makes me suspect a more elaborate reason."

"I didn't see him coming until it was almost too late," whispered Alice. Esme took her hand and squeezed it.

"You were fast enough to save Stephanie," Esme reassured her.

"They're looking for more ways to circumvent Alice's gift," Jasper continued.

"Alice and I were thinking that as well," I added. "That hypothesis is supported by the final call coming from an unknown source – my guess is Aro or Caius or Demetri."

"Someone with a hybrid protector," Bella said. "They hoped that if the decision was made under cover, so to speak, that Alice wouldn't catch this?"

"It has to be Aro who orchestrated this. He's the only one with intimate knowledge of Alice's capabilities." As I finished my remark, I waited for the condemnation, and I was not disappointed. Rosalie's colorful opinions of my onetime suicide attempt by Volturi were joined by Jasper's flare of annoyance with me for endangering Alice. Their thoughts were impossible to block. It was hard to argue with their sentiments since this was all my own doing, and I didn't even bother to glare at Rosalie.

"It's a good thing I killed him, then," Bella added bravely, tugging on my hand so I would look up at her. She looked me in the eye, the depths of her golden irises showing nothing but love. "They'll assume they were wrong. We caught him before he did any damage."

"Do you think the Miami coven knows they just declared war on us?" asked Emmett. He punched a fist into a hand.

"I don't think so," I answered. "The final call came from outside the coven. I think the leader knew he was doing the Volturi a favor, but I don't think he knew why. That's speculation, of course. I only know what Enrico thought, and he was more foot soldier than lieutenant."

"When Aro told us he would leave this hemisphere to us, I knew this day would come," murmured Carlisle. "We have no choice now. We have to investigate and choose a course of action with regard to Miami."

_And I thought Maria would be first._ Jasper was partially relieved; he did not look forward to confronting his longtime companion. He and Peter had been keeping an eye on Maria's activities since the call from Aro in March. The signs were not encouraging; she appeared to be planning a move from her traditional home base in Baja. Peter thought she was planning to take San Diego and from there Los Angeles, but Jasper was inclined toward Phoenix and then Las Vegas.

"There were some odd things about this fight," Jasper announced, abruptly changing subjects.

"He was too fast," said Rosalie, and Emmett mumbled under his breath. I couldn't hear his garbled words, but his thoughts made it very clear that the mumbling was so Esme wouldn't offer to wash his mouth out. Emmett was still disgusted about losing his sunglasses.

"His decisions must have been instantaneous with action," agreed Alice. "I couldn't catch up to him."

"It was faster than that. His actions were just a fraction ahead of his decisions. It was almost like fighting was a reflex for him," I told them. "It must have been a gift, of sorts."

"Fascinating," said Carlisle, his eyes sparking with interest. "I've thought about this possibility. If a severed limb can continue to move to seek reattachment, there is the possibility of other animation originating outside the brain."

"Highly trained athletes are able to respond without thinking," added in Emmett.

We all stared at him in mock shock. We all knew he was smart, but he rarely chose to demonstrate it in public.

"What? I have a degree in kinesiology," he reminded us.

"There was something else that I found the most frightening about the fight," said Jasper.

"He'd heard of us," I agreed, responding to Jasper's thoughts.

"He called us 'heretics,'" Bella added.

"Someone's indoctrinating vampires about what our lifestyle means. I think the Volturi are setting us up as enemies to other covens." Jasper was clearly concerned.

"He said we weren't real vampires," put in Rosalie.

"In war, dehumanizing the opponent has been a strategy to motivate the troops," Jasper said.

The room grew quiet, everyone's thoughts turning to what this revelation might mean for our future.

"We need more allies," said Rose, finally.

"Nearly everyone who was in Forks 20 years ago is an ally," said Carlisle. "That includes the witnesses for the Volturi. Who else do you suggest?"

"If the Volturi can subvert one of the Southern covens, perhaps we can ally ourselves with the others," suggested Esme. "Perhaps Maria?"

"No!" insisted Alice. I caught a brief flash of red in her mind, and then it was gone. I didn't look at her, but she knew I had seen something. She was mentally flipping through a catalog of every shoe designed in the past ten years by Manolo, Louboutin, and Xiang Xi. As blocking methods went, it was infinitely preferable to cheese.

"I know we've had trouble with her before, but surely she would have a stronger tie to us than to the Volturi?" asked Esme.

"No." agreed Jasper. He looked pained, feeling waves of emotion coming from Alice. She could hide her thoughts from me, but Jasper was not so easy to bewilder.

"We'll come back to that issue later," Carlisle announced firmly. "Now, the move. The decision is upon us."

"We have a variety of choices," Alice said, her tone bright again.

"No high school," Rosalie, Emmett, and I shouted simultaneously.

"Agreed," Carlisle chuckled. "I can't imagine how many absence notices I would have to write if you had to keep leaving school to fight random vampires."

"And no service industry," added Rosalie. "If I have to watch another fashion victim refuse good advice, I'm going to slash a throat or two."

"Actually, I have a request," Carlisle said. He was uncharacteristically hesitant, looking down at the table. My mouth dropped open in surprise. He had hidden this bombshell from me until this moment. "I've been accepted as a post-doctoral associate in a laboratory at the University of Minnesota. I would like Rosalie and Edward to enroll there as well in graduate school. There's a project I plan to undertake, and I would appreciate your assistance."

I was stunned, and honored. Working with Carlisle on a research project would be amazing. Rosalie was similarly affected, although being chosen with me put a slight damper on her enthusiasm. And in fact, the entire family was shocked. With one exception.

"It's a good thing you've got applications in the same department, then," Alice proclaimed with glee. "In fact, I believe the PNT may award all three of you fellowships." Her eyes glazed over, and I nearly swore aloud. "Oh, actually, that's not going to work. Too many red flags there. But two is okay. One of you will have to take on teaching responsibilities." _Sorry Edward._ I groaned.

"You're not going to be at the hospital?" Esme asked Carlisle in surprise.

"Today was the last straw, so to speak," he answered. "I was stuck at work while the rest of you fought without me. I will not be trapped by the job again, at least not while we are engaged in this conflict. Academic life is slightly more flexible than surgery. In any case, the research facilities at the university are more extensive than those at most hospitals."

"Of course I'll work with you," I told Carlisle. Maybe I would find an advisor with enough research money to keep me out of the classroom. I wondered what research project Carlisle had in mind, but he was avoiding those thoughts. _Later, Edward._

"If we're in Minnesota, then I'm going to go back into Materials and Mechanical Engineering," announced Emmett. "I've been reading about new monodisperse titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and I think I can formulate a sunscreen that will work for us." _Hawaii, here we come!_

"I'm sitting this round out," said Jasper. "I think I'll need all my time to coordinate our strategy and monitor the situation."

"We've got nearly six weeks until school starts at UM. When do you want to pack up here?" asked Alice.

"We should go as soon as I can reasonably get out of my duties at the hospital," said Carlisle. "We'll use the extra free time to resolve the Miami issue."

"We're going to visit Charlie and pick up Jake and Ness," I said, squeezing Bella's shoulders. "We'll schedule flights after we decide on our Miami strategy."

"Jasper, I'll let you design a strategy for Miami. Esme and Alice, please find new accommodation for us near Minneapolis. We're all supposed to be students and unrelated, so no mansions this time." Carlisle surveyed the room. "We're entering unfamiliar territory now. For the sake of our allies and for the humans, we have no choice but to act. The wrong course of action may launch a war here that would rival anything the Volturi would do to us. The right choice could maintain this tenuous balance of power and possibly convince the other covens that we are truly vampires. During this time, I will be depending on all of you, and I know you won't let me down."

**AN2: Miami! Baja! Volterra! Atlanta! Minneapolis! Seattle! Where do I go next? **

**Challenge entries are being accepted until November 30 for the Twilight Anniversary Challenge sponsored by me, edward-bella-harry-ginny and Justine Lark!**

**There are some great entries up already which I hope you all read and review, but we'd love to see more! Help us celebrate a year of writing for ebhg and Justine. By the way, we each wrote a sample, but ours are NOT ELIGIBLE for voting.**

**www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~twilightanniversarychallenge (or check my profile for a link)**

**The entries are collected in a C2 (check my profile or the anniversary profile for a link).**

**Voting for the challenge begins Dec. 1.**


	5. Chapter 4: Family

**AN: I have one exchange here which was partly inspired by Justine Lark and another inspired by Elise Shaw.**

**As always, I am indebted to edward-bella-harry-ginny's suggestions, words, and support while I struggled through this chapter. Justine Lark also gave me some great advice on fixing it up.**

_What's in a name? That which we call a rose  
By any other name would smell as sweet._

_Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Act II scene 2_

Ch. 4. Family

Bella and I settled into our seats on the tiny twin-engine from Bangor to Boston. Our travel schedule was bizarre, created by Alice as the best-case scenario with overcast airports and the least-intrusive security. Boston was currently off-limits for starting any travel since they had just instituted full-body X-rays for everyone passing through security. Needless to say, vampires would not be initiating travel out of Boston since we were opaque to x-ray machines. Newark and LaGuardia were considering the same setup, but they were waiting to see the reaction in Boston. According to news reports, the wait-time for security clearance in Boston was now exceeding an average of 22 minutes per person during daytime hours. The interviews of angry air travelers had made the rounds of all the TV news stations. The saddest part of the entire debacle was that the new security measures would never have prevented Demetri from destroying the airplane.

Bella insinuated her small, smooth fingers between mine, and I released tension of which I wasn't consciously aware. I lifted the annoying plastic armrest, and leaned in toward her neck. Her floral scent was even more soothing than her caress.

"I'm sorry I've been irritable." I whispered under her ear.

"I thought you'd be more excited to see Renesmee," she murmured at me.

"I am excited. I'm not looking forward to three flights over eleven hours in coach." I had to admit, even I was annoyed with the petulant note in my voice. Blocking so many minds for so many hours without respite was going to be draining. The three-hour layover in O'Hare was going to be a nightmare, and I was dreading it. At least while in the air I would only have a relative handful of voices to block.

"I wish I could help," she offered, stroking the back of the hand she held. "But I think you're more upset about missing the trip with Jasper than you are about travelling in coach."

I considered her opinion for a moment. Jasper was travelling with Peter and Charlotte down to the south, a quick reconnaissance mission to Miami. Unlike us, they were travelling by car. I had argued with Jasper and Carlisle that if we were able to get close enough to anyone in the Miami coven, my talents would be invaluable. Jasper had been concerned about a Volturi trap, and he had insisted that I needed to stay with Bella. Alice had calmly noted that she knew I wasn't going to Florida yet, and that had been that, as far as everyone else was concerned.

"Are you sure I'm not upset about missing out on Alice's trip?" I asked with a wry smile. She always knew my moods. Alice had gone with Carlisle and Esme to scout the Minneapolis area. Carlisle had a short meeting with his new boss, who believed he was a month from finishing in an M.D./Ph.D. program.

"I know you trust Alice to take care of our future housing," laughed Bella. "And I know you trust Jasper. You just want to see everything there for yourself. Please try to enjoy this time with me, though. We haven't seen Charlie in a few years, and we haven't been away from the rest of the family like this in a long time."

"You know I always prefer your company," I told her. I brushed her cheek and her lip with my free hand, and watched her eyes close in satisfaction. "I look forward to tonight." Alice had found a weekend rental on the Sound for us. It was sufficiently isolated that I would be able to spend the evening in comfort, although we had a long drive after we landed in Seattle. The rest of the family –Nessie, Jake, Charlie, Sue, Billy, Leah, and Seth – would be joining us the following afternoon.

"Do you remember the first plane trip we took together?" asked Bella.

"Better than you do, I would wager," I answered. She was still beautifully human on the journey from Italy back to Seattle. My perfect memory let me revel in the joy of reuniting with her after I thought her dead.

"It used to be among your top ten nights of all time," she said softly.

"I don't know if I can adequately rank my nights anymore," I confessed. "Perhaps we should start adding categories. It was among the top ten pivotal nights of my life."

"Pivotal?" Her lips turned up in a mischievous grin which I traced with a fingertip. "I'd like to hear the names of the other categories. I want to see if I can break any records on this trip."

My response was interrupted by the flight attendants beginning their safety demonstrations. Oddly enough, not a single passenger was paying attention to the explanation of how to use the amazing technology known as the seatbelt. I looked over at Bella, and she drolly crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue in a terrible imitation of someone being asphyxiated when we were told about oxygen masks. The plane began its takeoff, and I relaxed as the other passengers passed through brief moments of anxiety and then began nodding off.

Mindful of the other passengers, Bella spoke to me out of their hearing range. "Has Carlisle let you know about this mysterious research project yet?"

"No. He said he wanted to discuss it after the entire family was back together."

"I can tell you're excited about working with him."

"I can't explain it, exactly. Carlisle has been so many things for me, a father, a mentor, a teacher, a confidant…this feels like something more, like partners." I didn't know how to verbalize my feelings. Rebelling, nearly a hundred years ago, I had wondered if Carlisle would ever see me as an adult, much less as an equal. This moment made me feel that time had now arrived.

"Carlisle has great respect for your intellect."

"I hope that Rosalie and I don't tear each other apart." It was a concern. She was smug about being invited, although I had nothing but respect for her training and _her_ intellect. We just didn't get along well.

"I think when you're both working, you won't even think about it. You're both capable of rising above your silly sibling rivalry."

"Let's talk about something else," I suggested. I didn't plan to spend a lot of this trip thinking or talking about Rosalie. "What did Ness say when you called her before we left?"

"Oh, the usual. Dad, Billy, and Jake were fishing; she was watching Rachel's grandson."

"How was she doing with that?"

"She didn't say, but I think she's hurting. Jake has wanted kids for a long time. You know how great he was with her when she was still a baby." I felt my heart clench, and I squeezed Bella's hand to comfort her. Jake hadn't been the only one who had loved having a baby around. I missed my little girl, and it hurt that something she wanted so much was out of her control. I couldn't deny that it would have been wonderful to hold a grandchild, but I wished that I could feel better about my potential grandchild coming into the world in the middle of a war.

Our discussion was interrupted by the request for everyone to fasten seatbelts for the final approach. I rubbed Bella's arm as she pulled out a worn copy of _Anne of Avonlea_; she was rereading all her childhood favorites. I had to confess I had never made it past the first book in the series. Rather than annoy her by reading over her shoulder or unnerve the flight attendant by watching Bella read for the rest of the flight, I looked through my own carry-on. I pulled out a glossy brochure for the Program in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Minnesota which Alice had stuck into my bag as we were leaving. I wanted to see what my options might be for an advisor. I only knew that I couldn't work for Carlisle's new boss, and that it might be unwise to be in the same research group as Rose.

We were deplaning in Boston within 15 minutes, climbing the narrow stairs from the rear of the tiny plane down to the tarmac. Alice had seen we would be under cloud cover for this short outdoor jaunt; oddly, every other airport south to Reagan National was in bright sun today. I kept my hand on Bella's back as we walked towards the terminal, and she leaned into me slightly.

In the crowded terminal, we stayed close. Bella had never outgrown her magnetism for trouble; even in the fight with Enrico, she had drawn the attack. I could imagine several scenarios, and Boston was still an uncomfortable place; the airport terminal was barely two miles from Christopher Columbus Park, where we had handed Randall back to Sarah. Although the press of humans was claustrophobic, I was scanning the crowd, both visually and mentally as we wandered towards our next gate. I caught a few words in Hebrew and in my peripheral vision a flash of brown hair on a woman. I froze in fear, dropping my carry-on bag as my left hand started shaking. I couldn't seem to turn my head and look the woman in the eye.

_I hope you turn us down, Edward. I would be disappointed if you came to us freely. My heart is set on taking you alone, away from your darling Bella. My control of your life begins today._

Sarah's words flooded my mind, paralyzing me completely. Not now! Not here!

"Edward?" Bella's shocked voice sounded far away, distant compared to the memory of Sarah's torturous claim on me. Bella hurriedly scanned the crowd for dangers, but turned back to me, apparently seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Do you see Sarah? To the left?" I barely managed to get the words out. Around us, hurried travelers were sweeping by, annoyed at the obstacle in their paths.

Bella's mind opened to me, and I was flooded with her concern, her love, her determination to protect me, and everything she could see. There was a woman there, but her resemblance to Sarah ended with her hair color. The stress and shock decreased; Bella's presence was a balm, and I realized that Sarah's voice had only been a memory. Bella's shield popped back into place as she dragged me to a pair of seats at one of the gates and pushed me gently into it. I put my head in my hands and tried to shut out the cacophony of thoughts assaulting me. For a brief moment I heard a surge in the voices, as if the thoughts of the entire city of Boston rather than just the airport's denizens had entered the giant hall I often visualized. If I could imagine the voices I heard as being an audience in a performance hall with me, then I could visualize myself shutting the backstage door and finding peace. I still knew the voices were present in the large space, but I could contain my thoughts within the less noisy enclosure. After I concentrated for a few minutes, the hall of voices quieted, and I felt myself relax. I realized Bella was on the phone.

"Yes, Carlisle, I'll call Jasper right away." Bella looked at her phone, and hit another button. "Jasper? It's Edward; he had what seemed like a panic attack. He thought he saw Sarah. No, he's better. Sure." She looked at me apologetically and handed me her phone.

"Edward?" Jasper's voice was smooth and warm; he was playing psychologist with me.

"Yes."

"What triggered the attack, exactly?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, composing myself, and then glanced around. No one was paying attention aside from Bella. "I saw a woman with Sarah's hair color out of the corner of my eye. I heard a few phrases of Hebrew, and I froze. I _knew_ it was her. I even heard her voice in my head, threatening me." I couldn't elaborate further.

"This is not unexpected, Edward. You saw how Randall was. He was afraid of her even when she was far away. Her gift seems to have a time-release quality, like a post-hypnotic suggestion. You may continue to have flashes of her threats. Just remember not to obey her commands."

"She didn't really give me any," I said softly. "She merely announced she was in control of my life." I heard Bella hiss.

"She's not in control, Edward. You're stronger than she is." Jasper sounded confident.

"We've got to go, Edward," Bella said.

"We'll talk when we all get back," Jasper assured me, and we ended the call.

Bella and I "hurried" towards our gate. Jasper's words, while upsetting, gave me a concrete diagnosis; a reasonable explanation for the hold she still had over me. Bella's hand in mine added another measure of comfort.

"Thank you for calling Carlisle," I murmured to Bella as we stood in line for our boarding zone. I resolved that this would be the last time I allowed Alice to put us in coach.

"I didn't call him; Alice called me and put him on the phone."

"Of course." My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it, seeing a text from Alice.

_Next time I'll make you buy the tickets._

I rolled my eyes at the phone, and it buzzed again.

_I saw that._

I shut off my phone, shaking my head, and followed Bella to our abysmally-located seats near the back of the plane. I wondered if Alice had texted me as an additional distraction from my flashback to Sarah, or if she was really just that annoying. I insisted that Bella take the window seat while I took the center, although she protested. There was no telling who would take the aisle seat, and I wasn't prepared to watch some random person sleep on my wife.

After I assured her repeatedly that I was fine, Bella reluctantly pulled out her tattered book, and I checked out the other passengers. I found the usual conglomeration of passengers: air marshal, students returning home from summer school, businessmen, and servicemen on furlough. Perhaps the most unusual passenger was a government scientist returning from a conference in Boston, lamenting a cut in his funding. I listened to him, somewhat involuntarily, as he ranted for a bit. I was amused to see the equipment he had been considering purchasing was a new sequenator similar to one Carlisle planned to use in Minnesota. I attempted to block him out by watching through the flight attendants' eyes.

Soon, they started nicknaming the passengers, though their humor was a few notches below clever. They clumsily dubbed the scientist "Professor Needsahaircut" and an apparently nervous woman near the front became "Miss Aerophobia." I couldn't stay with them any longer when then they called me "Hottie McJailbait," in spite of my wedding ring. I switched to the pilots for a few moments, checking as always that they were competent. Satisfied that there were no overt threats or potential crises on the plane, I pulled out some papers published by the faculty at Minnesota, determined to find a little peace. I was considering which professor I'd like to work with when our seat mate joined us. Thankfully, she was a lady on business, distracted by the meeting she had the next day in Chicago. She barely acknowledged me as she settled into her seat and pulled out a trade magazine. I attempted to relax further, realizing when Bella brushed my arm absentmindedly that I was sitting too still, frozen in my discomfort as I was slowly overwhelmed by the minds around me.

The approach into Chicago was as unpleasant as I had anticipated; the three million inhabitants were seemingly all talking at full volume inside my head. It always took a few moments to acclimate to large populations, but it had been more of a strain than usual since the last few trips into Boston. I wondered if Sarah's lingering touch had anything to do with my weakened ability to tune out the voices.

"Are you okay?" Bella's voice pierced the fog in my brain.

"Yes." I noticed our formerly distracted seatmate was listening to us, faintly concerned that I would throw up on her suit. "Just a bit of a headache," I told Bella at human speed. "It's a little loud over Chicago," I added at a higher frequency.

The remainder of our air travel was blissfully boring and unusually uneventful. When we arrived at the terminal in SeaTac, passing the "no return" zone beyond security, Bella asked about our rental car.

"Rental car? Don't be absurd," I told her with a smirk. "I have a much better alternative."

Bella narrowed her eyes at me, and then rolled them dramatically when she saw the man holding the "Cullen Party" sign. We approached the heavy-set, middle-aged, balding man.

"I'm Edward Cullen," I introduced myself.

"Mr. Cullen, welcome to Seattle. I'm Brent Tarpenhard." The man set down his sign and wiped his brow.

"How did it drive up from San Carlos?" I asked.

"Perfect. Everything is running on spec. We think you'll be pleased it. It's only the tenth car off the line." He gave me a broad smile. _He seems a little young for an investor, but it all spends the same._

I heard a choking noise next to me, but when I looked, Bella was composed.

"I think we're ready to see it, then, Mr. Tarpenhard."

The rotund fellow led us out to the passenger pick-up area and up to a cherry red two-seater convertible. The sleek lines screamed fast like the sound of Indy cars whizzing by the grandstand, and I couldn't stop the grin that split my face. Rosalie was going to turn green when she found out I'd gotten my hands on the Tesla 2700 straight off the line. Until she found out it was a gift for her. I had to test drive it, didn't I? It seemed like the simplest way to get it to Minnesota.

"Um, sweetheart?" asked Bella, her tone a little too saccharine.

"Yes?" I asked, still beaming at the car. Mr. Tarpenhard was beaming with me, giving me the chance to enjoy its beauty without interruption.

"Did you forget that we're picking up two other people along with all their luggage? Darling?" There was a dangerous overtone in Bella's voice.

"Of course not. We're getting Jake and Ness a new car as well."

"I see," she said. I knew she would like this idea.

Mr. Tarpenhard showed me a few details about the battery charging and gave me some tips about preserving the solar-active paint job, and then handed me the keys.

"Congratulations, Mr. Cullen. Enjoy the car!" he called as he trundled to the waiting car and driver behind the 2700. I waved distractedly at him, still admiring the aerodynamic design of the front end. It seemed almost a shame to load something as prosaic as luggage into the trunk. I picked up the bags from where I had dropped them on the sidewalk, and loaded them carefully into the trunk. I turned to open the passenger door for Bella, and stopped short when I saw the look she was giving me.

"What did I do?" I asked.

"Edward. This," here she gestured at the car, "it's over the top. We're supposed to be starving graduate students for the next few years, if we're lucky."

I kissed her head and "helped" her into the car. After I entered the driver's side and started the car, I headed out. I had decided we would loop down to Tacoma and then back up to the rental house. "Actually, it's a peace offering for Rosalie. I know she's looked at a few of these, but she hasn't taken the leap yet. Her interest has been growing over the past few months; I thought I'd surprise her. We'll keep driving the one we have. Even if it does still smell like fake nacho cheese and beef jerky." I glanced over at my wife, and saw her face had softened.

"That's really nice, Edward. Maybe this research project with Carlisle and Rosalie will work out better than I think. The car is really quiet!"

"The all-electric cars are not practical for vampires since we can drive continuously except for fuel stops, but the 2700 is beautiful. It's a high-performance sports car, and it can go 800 miles without a charge."

"Is that straight from the glossy brochure?" asked Bella, a smirk on her face.

"Sarcasm is not always attractive, at least, not when it's aimed at your husband. And actually it's from the review in _Car and Driver_ that Rosalie read four times last month. I eventually got tired of hearing it, although it was better than the article on the fifteen best new fall colors she had been reading out of _Style_."

Bella's phone rang as we exited Seattle. I took the opportunity to test the car's upper speed limits while she spoke to Alice about our flights.

My phone buzzed, and I checked it. "It's Emmett," I told Bella, flipping the phone open.

"Edward!"

"Hello, Emmett."

"Are you all the way to Washington?"

"Yes, we landed about forty-five minutes ago." Talking to Emmett on the phone was like pulling teeth; it was so much easier when I could find the point of the conversation in his head.

"Jasper's made it down past Virginia," Emmett informed me. Of course. Jasper must have called Emmett, and my big brother was checking up on me.

"Sounds reasonable," I answered. "You can tell him we're in Washington and everything's fine."

"Can I talk to Bella?" I guessed he wanted reassurance that everything was, indeed, fine.

"She's on the phone with Alice." There. He could call Alice when we got off the phone.

"Rosalie said your coat smelled like your little human friend Josh, and it infected everything else in the closet, so she took everything to the dry cleaners."

"And you're bored?" I prompted.

"Dead bored!" I could almost see his grin.

"Very amusing, Emmett."

"How's it driving?" he asked in a loud whisper.

"She's going to think she died and went to heaven," I told him.

"Now who's amusing?" His voice dropped back to a stage whisper. "Oh, I hear the car. I'll let you know if Jasper calls again."

I closed the phone and glanced over at Bella, who had also just hung up. "How's Alice?"

"She says that she and Esme looked at eight or ten choices in the city, but they're more interested in some of the properties further out in the country. Esme is going with a realtor out towards Mankato, and Alice is viewing property near Red Wing."

"How's Carlisle?"

"Apparently, he toured the campus today, and he came back acting like he's an eighteen-year-old who just took his first college visit."

All of us had some concerns about Carlisle giving up medicine again. This time, it was voluntary, to a degree, but I had noted distressed thoughts from Esme in particular. I hoped that whatever research he had planned would be sufficiently compelling to keep him occupied, when he wasn't busy planning a police action against rogue vampires. Speaking of which.

"Bella, I need to ask you a question." She stopped fiddling with the music controls, and looked at me, a trace of guilt on her face. "What are you planning with respect to Sarah?" I asked her in a level tone, trying not to inject emotion into the question.

"I don't have a specific plan."

"Do you mean 'yet,' or do you mean that you are not planning eventually to attack Sarah? Bella, I heard your intentions when we were in the airport in Boston. Your urge to fight Sarah was very strong." I watched the road and waited as she sat in silence for a moment.

"I love you more than anything, Edward. I can't stand by and watch as Sarah tortures you. Even now, she has her hooks into you, and I will make her pay for that. And when I finish with Sarah, I will make sure Jane never has access to you again."

"That's what all your training with Emmett and Rosalie is about. You're getting ready to fight Sarah."

"Yes, but it doesn't hurt to be better prepared for what may happen in Miami. The conflict with Enrico could have ended a lot differently." Her tone was defiant, and when I looked over at her, she was determined, angry, and beautiful.

"I can't lose you," I told her pleadingly. "Sarah's weapon against me is my fear of losing you to the Volturi. Please don't do this. Sarah was a soldier before she was a vampire. She is a trained, cold-blooded, unremorseful, sadistic killer. Even with everything you could learn from Jasper, the fight wouldn't be even." I wasn't beyond begging. Bella was my life.

"I'm not reckless." Her eyes were huge and liquid, and full of love. "I know she's stronger than I am, and more experienced. I also know what happens when you believe me to be dead, and I would never do that to you again, not intentionally. I think I've already learned enough from Jasper to know that a good plan will include a strong chance for my survival, and that might mean bringing friends to the fight. I'm learning from the best. I don't have a plan, but when the times comes, I'm going to be ready to do my part."

"No suicide missions?" I asked her, trying to lighten our conversation.

"None. I'm not the seventeen-year-old male. I'm nearly nineteen, and everyone knows the female brain matures younger and has less tendencies toward impulsive behavior." She cracked a tentative smile at me.

"You're planning to use that line until the end of time, I take it."

"Absolutely!"

I wasn't finished with our discussion, but I felt I had time to work on convincing Bella not to take on a sadistic soldier vampire. I let it go for the time being, and we spent the rest of our drive listening to music and talking about our daughter.

The rental Alice had found for us could sleep 12, and while not directly on the Sound, it was on the edge of a small lake. From the front side of the wraparound porch, the Sound was visible in the distance. From the back side of the house, the porch expanded into a two-level deck with furniture and a grill. We would have the wolves descend at some point, so cooking facilities were necessary. It was only about twenty yards from the deck to the small dock with a boat. Bella and I wandered the house, and chose one of the three bedrooms that included an en suite bath.

"When do the rest get here tomorrow?" I asked, setting our luggage down in the corner of the room. Bella had made those arrangements with Charlie and Nessie.

"Mid-afternoon. They're having dinner here."

"Then, we have about eighteen hours." I stalked toward her, and she backed up toward the bed. "I believe you began this trip reminding me it had been a while since we were alone. I need to make every hour count."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I heard the thoughts before I could hear the cars, and I realized I was getting anxious as I paced the front room. Nessie had missed us, and was excited to see her parents again. When the gang finally pulled up the drive, Bella was in the kitchen frantically rearranging the food she had already put together. I wasn't the only one anxious to see Renesmee again. Although I knew she could hear them as well as I could, I still called out to her to let her know they had arrived. In the end, I couldn't stop myself from running out to Jake's car to grab Nessie and spin her once.

"Dad! Breathing! Not overrated for the rest of us!" She giggled, and I was reminded of when she was young.

_I love you, Dad. Missed you so much._ Her thoughts drowned out the greetings from the others. I was treated to a mental slide show of various moments from our lives together: the three of us in her bedroom for storytime, trips together to Seattle, Christmas mornings, hunting trips, arguments about broccoli, and her wedding day. I was relieved; when she had left for the summer, Ness had still been angry with me about trading Randall to the Volturi.

Bella was on the porch, holding a towel. I knew that she was as overwhelmed as I was. "Go see your Mom," I told Ness, as I gave her a quick kiss.

"Jake." I shook his hand. It was good to have the family back in one place again.

"Pops!" he responded, his usual wide grin in place. I rolled my eyes.

"Just remember, you'll never catch up with me, youngster."

Jake's eyes widened in surprise. "Geez, Edward. You made an honest-to-goodness joke. That's one for the history books."

_Love you, Mom._ Ness was touching Bella, replaying her hug with Bella and the hug she had just shared with me.

Charlie and Sue climbed out of the next car as Leah and Seth exited from their backseat. I went to meet Charlie as Jake helped Billy from the back of his car. Something in Charlie's muffled thoughts caught me; he was worried. Sue had nothing in her thoughts which would clue me in to what his concern was.

"Charlie." I shook his hand.

"Edward," he answered, a smile cracking his usually stoic demeanor. "It's been a while since I got to see my girl and her man." I was surprised by the warmth in his thoughts, all his previous worry swept away. "Thanks for letting Jake and Ness spend the summer with Gramps."

"Oh, like I have to listen to that stuffy old man," Jake shouted from where he was helping Billy.

"Sir, I apologize for any disrespect I may have ever shown you," I told Charlie sincerely.

"Yeah, not so easy being the old man, is it?" He cracked another smile and gave me a quick pat on the back.

I said hello to Sue, and made my way over to Billy. "Chief Black, we're glad you could make it." His medical condition was stable but still a cause for some worry over the years.

"Edward, you've been my in-law for eight years. It's time to call me Billy."

"That's very…" I stopped, not having a word for what I was feeling. I never imagined that the truce with the Quileutes would progress to a friendly family relationship. "It's very kind of you."

I slapped Seth on the back, and we carried in bags while Jake and Leah helped get their parents settled. Bella and Ness were in the kitchen, talking rapidly about different developments from the summer, including the growth rate of Paul and Rachel's grandchild. Apparently, they hadn't come on this trip since their son-in-law was still young enough to be in danger from transforming around us. We hadn't informed the wolves about the attack from Miami yet, but we would at some point tonight.

"So what's for dinner?" asked Jake.

"We bought several pounds of animal flesh," I told him with a look of distaste. "We also have a lot of processed, salted, fried corn and potato products."

"Chips! Awesome." Jake lumbered into the kitchen, closely followed by Seth.

Bella came out of the kitchen, grimacing. "I think he's going to eat everything before it's time, but he's too big to spank."

"If you need me to chastise him, just let me know," I suggested.

"Alice sent me a picture, look." Bella showed me a house exterior on her tiny phone screen. "What do you think?"

"If Alice and Esme like it, I have a feeling I'll like it, too." In keeping with Carlisle's request, Alice and Esme were searching for five or six modest homes within a three-mile radius. I had requested relative solitude, and all of us preferred to be near woods. The house looked…plain. "I'm not sure if Rosalie is going to like this, or anything similar."

"Maybe she can live in the car you bought her," Bella responded, somewhat acidly.

Jake took over the grilling that afternoon, with several pointed comments about flammability and spontaneous combustion which no one found funny except for Nessie. As everyone (aside from Bella and I) indulged in the repast on the back porch, I was astonished to realize that I had a full, second family. Everyone's thoughts were open, warm, and relaxed. It was another gift I could ascribe to Bella; she had given me love, a wife, a daughter, and now a second extended family. As if she could hear my thoughts, she looked up at me with a happy smile and put her hand over mine on the table.

"Any chance we can head out for some fishing in the morning?" Charlie asked. He looked longingly at the boat tied up at the small dock. Alice thought of everything.

Surprisingly, Billy declined, and Charlie shot pointed looks at me and Jake. I wondered if the cloudy weather would hold; it wouldn't be easy to explain why I leaped into the lake when the sun came out. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and a swift look revealed a text from Alice encouraging me to accept the offer.

"I'd enjoy that," I told Charlie. I'd never gone with him, and I wracked my brain to see if I'd ever gone fishing. "Jake?"

"Uh, sure. Sounds like a plan." _You owe me. I already went this morning._

"Bright and early," Charlie said. "No sleeping in." He threw a glance at Jake, who looked shocked at being accused.

"I'll make sure he's up," I assured Charlie, giving Jake an evil grin.

Later that night, after the "older" generation had headed for bed, Bella and I shared the current situation, what we knew of it, with Jake, Seth, and Leah.

"How does this affect La Push?" asked Jake, his attitude shifted to that of the pack alpha.

"We can't be sure," I admitted. "Jasper's trying to find out more in Miami. We've alerted our other allies; we can't assume we're the only targets."

"I'll talk to Sam tonight. We've talked for a while about increasing patrols." Jake's thoughts drifted to numbers; the pack was aging, and we had been careful to prevent any additional transformations.

The next morning, I made certain to rouse Jake at five. He grumped his way through a quick breakfast, and we headed out into the back with Charlie.

"It's a good thing I brought extra poles," he growled at us. "How did I end up with a son-in-law and grandson-in-law who don't fish?"

"We're both more into hunting," Jake said, smirking.

"Ah, ah. I think we're heading into territory I'd prefer we stayed out of." Charlie shuddered.

The cloudy, misty morning passed in relative silence. Charlie's thoughts were, as always, a muted garble in my head. Jake was too sleepy after last night's conversation with Sam and brief patrol to offer much in the way of conversation. Even his thoughts were lethargic. The only noises were insects, birds, and the soft lapping of water against the boat.

"So, do you usually catch much on these outings?" I asked in a quiet voice. The sense of worry had been growing in Charlie's thoughts, but the reason for it was eluding me.

"Depends," he grunted back.

"Mmm." I responded. I was pretty sure grunts were de rigueur for comments while fishing.

After a few minutes, Jake yawned, and shifted.

"I wanted to tell you two something," Charlie finally said. He was turned slightly away from us, fiddling with his line.

"Oh?" My eyes slid to Jake's, and he shrugged slightly.

_Why are you asking me, O Carnac the Magnificent?_ Jake had a carefully formed image in his mind of me wearing a large purple turban with a huge feather attached. I was going to burn everything Emmett had from the seventies.

"It's not too many men who can feel his daughter and granddaughter will be secure for, well, for forever. I wanted you both to know that I appreciate that." Charlie was focused tightly on his fishing pole now.

I think my eyes had widened in surprise; I know Jake's had.

"Hey, no problem, Charlie. Bella and Ness are the greatest." Jake looked at me with panic_. Say something. Do something. What's he thinking?_

"Marrying Bella was the best thing that ever happened to me," I said, attempting reassurance.

"I'm going to tell Sue and Bella when we get back, but I have a prostate cancer diagnosis. It's not supposed to be a big deal; the doctors want to watch and wait, but it makes you think. I wanted you both to know I'm glad you're both there for my girls."

I had a sudden stab of worry for Bella; she was going to be upset. "Do you want Carlisle to review the records?"

"No, everything is fine. I mean, most men have trouble with their prostate at some point. Well, probably not you two, but normal men." Charlie stopped, and I recognized his discomfort with talking about his medical condition was compounded by bringing up our "otherness."

"All right," I responded. The conversation topic was closed, apparently, and Charlie's shoulders relaxed a fraction.

_Charlie's never going to see us as adults, huh?_ I supposed Jake was right.

Fishing was spectacularly unsuccessful, and I couldn't help but wonder if it had been my presence scaring off the fish. In retrospect I realized that Charlie hadn't been out for fish. He wasn't the type to express sentiment, and I was touched that he had been able to reach out to us. I didn't fool myself into thinking he had done it for us; it was undoubtedly a gift to his "girls."

Charlie tied up the boat, his thoughts relaxed. Nessie came off the back porch at a run. "Grandpa! Did you catch us dinner?"

"Only if you want to eat my shredded bait," Jake laughed. He held up a hook with the remnants of worm still attached.

"It does look appetizing," Sue said in a low voice. She spoke so rarely around us that I was surprised. "Perhaps it would do well in a casserole?"

Leah and Seth wandered out to join their mother, apparently curious by the tone of their thoughts.

"A worm casserole?" asked Seth, looking back and forth from Jake to his mother.

"If you add enough sugar, I imagine Nessie will eat anything," Leah told her mother, putting one arm around her.

"Oh, enough. I may have a little bit of a sweet tooth." Ness walked Charlie back up to the house while Jake and I cleaned up the tackle. I could see as they went into the house that Bella was in the kitchen, working on something for dinner; it felt natural to watch Bella through Nessie's eyes, an old habit I had developed to check on them both.

"Your pocket is buzzing," Jake told me without looking up as I pulled out my phone. "And I can't believe you took your phone fishing."

Alice was calling. Again. "Alice, what is it now? Did you find better houses?"

"No, it's Caius. He was careless again." I was aware of Jake's head popping up, and Bella arriving at my side, concern on her face. "He's sending Felix to Egypt. They're going after Benjamin."

**AN2: Up next: What Jasper did in Miami.**

**The passage inspired by Justine Lark is the reminiscing about the "Top Ten" nights. Justine wrote a one-shot by that name. The one inspired by EliseShaw is Edward's reminiscing about rebelling from Carlisle: "No Longer Alone" and "A Coming of Age" are fantastic pre-Twilight canon stories. Nessie's loving slide show for Edward is based on stories by Justine Lark and edward-bella-harry-ginny. Of course, the whole thing is inspired by Stephenie Meyer's originals.**

**ebhg has a new story "Wiggle Your Toes" (AH) which was written for The Mystics Best Non-Lemony Story Dare. Information is on her profile, and she is in my favorites. I know, that's complicated. It's a good story!**

**I have a new one-shot(?) in the Cold War universe titled "The Death of Joham." It has some implications for plotlines in AoA. I borrowed some characterizations and names from "Huilen's Story" by Persephone's Folly. I encourage everyone to read that, in addition to her new "Dr. Cullen, I Presume," a Carlisle-meets-Sherlock Holmes story. Her writing is excellent! I love both stories.**

**One more announcement: The Indie Twific Awards will be opening nominations again on Jan. 18-28. These awards are for lesser known stories (small number of reviews). And, yes, AoA and TCW (and Soldier X) fit within their limits. ;)**


	6. Chapter 5: Invincible

**Disclaimer: Everything in the Twilight universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**AN: I was so happy when the reviews for Ch. 4 were positive, and it reminded me to thank you readers and reviewers!**

**Edward-bella-harry-ginny is a fantastic friend and beta. Justine Lark also gave me some great advice on fixing boo-boos and style issues in this chapter. You're both great!**

_Cry "Havoc!" and let slip the dogs of war.  
Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act III scene i_

Ch. 5. Invincible

The soothing sounds of the car engine complemented my awareness of Peter and Charlotte. We had travelled together for many years, and being together again this summer had been nostalgic. Enough time had passed that I could now focus on the relationship we had shared instead of the pain I had felt when I revisited those memories. Peter and Charlotte were well-matched, and both had a pragmatic, easy view toward life. I would have chosen few others to accompany me on this trip. They had survived Maria as well, albeit not for as long as I had. Peter was not my match in combat, but I would choose him immediately after Edward and Emmett. All three knew me and vice versa. Coordinating with any of them was second nature. Charlotte was also a dangerous fighter; I would have ranked her with Rosalie despite her small size.

"This car is impressive," I told Peter. It was a blood red 1990 Grand Marquis, fully restored with vampire-tinted windows. I could appreciate its classic American beauty even if my brothers would have found it trashy. The best part was that the back seat was big enough for me to fully stretch my legs. Vampires didn't need to stretch, but it was psychologically preferable to being squashed in the back of a solar-active subcompact.

"I used those lotto numbers Alice sent me," Charlotte said with a wide grin. "We had fourteen small jackpots in fourteen states. No paperwork, cash only. So, we should thank you for the car." Charlotte rarely showed so much enthusiasm; she was as even-tempered as Peter. Their easy natures had been a balm after the insanity of living with Maria. I still found their presence relaxing.

"The bounty of Alice runneth over," I murmured. Leaving Alice had been difficult. As the plans for this trip had solidified over the past week, she had become more and more agitated, although she hid it well under the guise of searching real estate listings in Minnesota and making bizarre travel plans for Edward and Bella. I knew she was hiding something from Edward, because he would repeatedly have a spike in curiosity immediately followed by a surge of annoyance – this was a classic sign that Alice was hiding thoughts from Edward by reciting something he was unable to penetrate. After thinking in the backseat of this car for eight hours, I concluded that she had seen something vague but troubling about me, and she was concealing it from Edward and me. As long as I didn't speak of it to anyone, she would remain unaware that I had uncovered her secret. The vision had to be vague, or she would have taken steps to counteract it. I didn't understand what had made her conceal it from both of us, but as long as she chose to hide it, I would give her the space she needed.

We'd been driving for half a day already, with about another twelve hours to go before we reached Miami – Peter didn't drive the way our family did. I needed to scout the city and determine the state of affairs. The internet was not helpful in investigating a vampire coven engaging in black market activities. To our great fortune, the season's third tropical storm had coated the entire southeast in cloud cover, and a fourth, weaker storm would make landfall in Miami in the middle of our trip. The rain would make our job more difficult, but it would also cover our tracks. I was not ready to meet Rick of Miami.

"What's your news of Maria?" I asked. It did me no good to wonder about Miami when there was simply no data.

"She's reached a stalemate, as far as we can tell. She hasn't moved in a month, not since she regained Monterrey, but a few nomads have headed in her direction." Peter was pensive, Charlotte concerned. If nomads were flocking to Maria, she was offering something amazing. Nomads valued their freedom of movement and complete autonomy.

"You've heard our speculation that the Volturi are driving the situation in Miami," I said suggestively.

"She's always been independent," Peter answered. "She won't work with the Volturi if only because she would never accept someone over her."

"There are a few things the Volturi could offer her," Charlotte said slowly. "Starting with you, Jasper."

"I don't think so." I didn't think so, did I? She had tried to kill me once but had since attempted to get me to return. "The Volturi don't offer you payment for services. You pay them back for your transgressions, and unless there's something I don't know about, she's not drawn that kind of attention to herself. She's too smart for that. In any case, she would want me as a _willing_ partner. The Volturi can't give her _that_." No one could give her that. I would not live without Alice. I resolved to show Alice how important she was to me; I suspected this summer's talk about Maria had awakened some lingering insecurities she had about me and my commitment to life with her and the Cullens.

I leaned my head backward against the window and considered Maria dealing with Aro. She was familiar with the Volturi and their tactics, having survived the later southern wars, but she had always been interested more in avoiding the Volturi than in confronting them. I felt confident that Rick was working with them out of necessity; his flamboyant business practices and methods of recruitment into his coven would have made him a target for execution. His apparent ambition would have attracted their attention as well. He was building a kingdom of sorts. The acquisition of wealth was not common in the vampire world; other than ourselves and the Denalis, the Volturi was the only coven with substantial resources.

My cell phone buzzed with a text from Alice. _Trouble with Edward. He'll call soon._

"What is it?" asked Peter, glancing at me over his shoulder.

"My brother will be calling in a few minutes. Alice was giving me warning." Even spread over the country as we were today, the Cullen family was still operating as a unit. Sometimes I felt like the black sheep, the one member with continuing bloodlust issues. I had clashed with Edward more than once when I thought he was putting Alice at risk, and I knew he thought I valued her so far above everyone else that I was ready to walk away at any moment. The time had come, however, when I needed to consider the depth of my commitment to the family.

My thoughts were interrupted by my phone, but it was Bella calling. "Jasper?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"It's Edward; he had what seemed like a panic attack. He thought he saw Sarah." I felt curiosity spike in Peter and Charlotte.

I cursed under my breath. I had many regrets about our meeting with Sarah, not the least of which was letting her get away in one piece. "Is he still panicking? Is he attracting attention?" Looking at the time, I determined they should be in Logan Airport, which was likely contributing to Edward's turmoil.

"No, he's better."

"You should let me speak with him," I told her. She may not have realized it, but her soothing presence had probably already dissipated the bulk of his panic.

"Sure." I heard the phone crackle as it changed hands.

"Edward?"

"Yes." His voice was flat, disguising whatever emotion he was undoubtedly wallowing in. I found talking on the phone with Edward difficult; so much went on below the surface that I felt I only got a small portion of his conversation through the phone.

"What triggered the attack, exactly?" I asked him.

"I saw a woman with Sarah's hair color out of the corner of my eye. I heard a few phrases of Hebrew, and I froze. I _knew_ it was her. I even heard her voice in my head, threatening me." I wanted to curse again. I had been relieved as time passed and Edward seemed to show a complete recovery from his experience with Sarah. Now the other shoe had fallen.

"This is not unexpected, Edward. You saw how Randall was. He was afraid of her even when she was far away. Her gift seems to have a time-release quality, like a post-hypnotic suggestion. You may continue to have flashes of her threats. Just remember not to obey her commands."

"She didn't really give me any. She merely announced she was in control of my life," Edward whispered, undoubtedly suffering from a dose of shame and self-loathing.

I was both relieved and concerned. If Sarah had thought to command Edward, we could have had serious issues. I doubted he would have fallen for something as blatant as "Kill Carlisle," but something more innocuous like "Call Aro" could have been perniciously dangerous. If I wasn't sure that he had told me everything about the encounter, I would be more worried. Still, the fact that Edward felt her control could eventually become a problem.

"She's not in control, Edward. You're stronger than she is." I gave an involuntary surge of calm and confidence. I heard Bella tell Edward they had to get going.

"We'll talk when we all get back," I told Edward before hanging up.

My phone buzzed almost immediately. _That was perfect, Jas. He's going to be fine._

"This Sarah is still influencing your brother?" asked Charlotte. The wisping, curling smoke of curiosity suffused her question.

"Not directly. I told you she used her gift on Edward last March. He was in Boston, and he thought for a moment that he saw her. It triggered something like a human panic attack when he remembered the way she tortured him." I needed Charlotte and Peter to understand that Edward was not incapacitated. As much as Carlisle was the head of the alliance, it was Edward and Alice who stood as its right and left hands. We could not afford to have anyone believe they weren't up to the challenge.

And I suppose that answered my question: how committed was I to the Cullen family? As we stood on the brink of what might be two wars, my thoughts were only of our family and the alliance it headed. If I walked away, there were places I could go, and even places I could take Alice, were she willing to leave, but the Cullens were no longer a convenience for me and a safe harbor for my mate. Carlisle had treated me like a son, as had Esme. Bella and Rosalie treated me as a brother. I had a niece who had always loved me. A _niece_. Finally, I had two brothers who would stand with me against anything. The Cullens were no longer my family simply because Alice had chosen them, and that knowledge was freeing.

I leaned my back against the window again, listening to the nineties dance music Peter had chosen for driving his vintage car. I sensed they both needed to hunt before we reached Miami, and in fact they began discussing whether they should hunt the next time we stopped for gas or closer to our destination. They planned to slip over to the Appalachian Trail and find a few lone hikers unless they found a reasonable target beforehand. I had hunted past satiation to discomfort with Alice just before our respective trips, at her request, of course. Dealing with my family's suppression of bloodlust was simple compared to being around vampires who embraced it. I was going to stay with the car.

Some hours later, I was reading in the backseat of the Monte Carlo in the parking lot of a truck stop off I-81, waiting for Peter and Charlotte to return. My phone buzzed, and a glance showed me it was Emmett calling. He and Rose had stayed behind in Millinocket.

"Emmett. Did something happen?"

"No. I heard Edward had a Sarah-flashback. Do you think it's like acid?" What was Emmett's fascination with the seventies culture? He hadn't been this interested when we actually lived through the decade.

"I have no way of knowing, Emmett."

"Is he okay? I can't call him because he's in the air right now."

"He was already better when I spoke with him. He's with Bella."

"Five hundred says he calls you about it before he heads back." Emmett was clearly bored; this wager wasn't even much of a challenge.

"A thousand says he doesn't," I countered. This was a safe bet for two reasons. Alice hadn't sent a text telling me not to take it, and I was taking Edward's side. When he heard about this, and he certainly would hear about it eventually, it was Emmett who was going to get creamed.

"Deal. Hey, have you heard from Alice? How's the house hunting going?"

"She's texted me, but we haven't spoken."

"Is Peter there?"

"No, they've gone hunting. I'm waiting in the car."

"You reading?" asked Emmett.

"Yes, a book on Lewis and Clark by Ambrose."

"I thought you hated Ambrose," said Emmett.

"Well, I don't like his Civil War history. I thought I'd give his work another chance by reading something I don't have first-hand knowledge about." The book had been in my possession for many years, but I had resisted opening it until now.

"Yeah, makes sense," Emmett said absently. His fascination with history was focused on pop culture of the late twentieth century. "Hey, I think I hear Rosalie. Talk later."

I thought for a moment that torturing Emmett would involve putting him in an empty room. He'd panic in boredom in less than sixty seconds.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

We had been under cloud cover since north Georgia, and now as we approached north Miami, the rain began to fall.

"How do you want to handle this?" asked Peter.

"I want to find a lone vampire, a wandering scout or guard, or even just someone out to hunt, and engage him in conversation. I thought I'd pass myself off as a nomad interested in joining Rick's coven." I didn't need much information, just enough to begin planning. Miami was a blank to me at present.

"What do you plan to do with this vampire when you're done?" asked Charlotte. Again, I felt curiosity from her, but no concerns. The death of a random, unknown vampire would not disturb her. I had a slight twinge of guilt; I knew Carlisle would not like my plans, but he had given me carte blanche.

"I suppose that will depend on how the conversation goes," I replied.

Peter's eyes met mine in the rear-view mirror. "How do you propose to find this lone vampire?"

I held up my phone. "We'll drive through the city. At some point, I'll choose to begin looking. If Alice can confirm mission success, we'll be off."

"How do you want us to help?" asked Charlotte.

"I'd prefer not to fight fair," I told her. "That's why I want a lone vampire. I'm not taking on the whole coven."

"Whoever you find will know you aren't alone. You have our scents on you; they'll know you're with a coven." Peter was insightful, as usual.

"Yes. I thought I'd hide our numbers, but only if you can agree." I let them know my strategy, and Peter and Charlotte reluctantly agreed the plan was good.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

We quartered the city for hours. With its surrounding suburbs, Miami was a vast, sprawling area. The logical place for Rick to house his coven was somewhere near the waterfront; if he was into drug trafficking, the waterfront seemed ideal. Then again, a remote airfield closer to the Everglades would serve as well. His campaign to attract the urban youth suggested the rundown neighborhoods littered with gang graffiti. With vampire speed as a factor, we couldn't rule anything out in advance. Each choice I made led to an immediate text from Alice; either I was choosing too well, and we would find a large group of vampires, or else the search would be fruitless.

We approached another suburban area with upscale homes and businesses. We were on the outskirts of town; the Everglades began just beyond the freeway about a mile or so ahead. We passed a country club, and I considered exploring the golf course. Palm trees, small hills, and bushes dotted the green expanse; visibility was limited due to the driving rain. My phone buzzed, and I knew we had hit the jackpot. _This is it. Wear sunglasses._

Peter found a parking spot on the street. With the weather so unattractive to humans, this was a relatively safe place to be out. Who would wander onto a golf course in the midst of a tropical storm?

"Are you sure this is necessary?" asked Charlotte uneasily.

My phone buzzed again. _It will work. All is forgiven._

"Necessary, and it will succeed," I told them both. I was uneasy as well, for all it was my own plan.

Charlotte climbed into the backseat with me, and Peter looked away. "It has to be strong enough that no one will notice Peter's scent, at least, not from a distance," I told her softly. I made myself think of Alice, and the way she looked at me and me alone. The venom pooled in my mouth, and I leaned over towards Charlotte's neck. She shut her eyes, and waves of doubt and distress came rolling from her. I backed away. "If you're this upset, I don't know if I can do it."

Charlotte's doubt solidified into resolve, and she pulled me back towards her. I held her gently, releasing the tiniest heat of lust into her so that she would be able to respond. I carefully coated her neck with my venom as she did the same for me. I apologized silently to Alice as Charlotte's touch ghosted over my skin, and I deliberately decided how I would greet Alice when I returned to Maine. Peter was fighting to control himself; his knee-jerk reaction was to rip us apart from each other. I released her and backed away.

"I think you'll know when to appear," I told them. Charlotte nodded, and Peter turned his head back. I could see his nostrils were flared and his lip curled involuntarily. The scorching heat of his anger threatened to sear away my brain. "Hopefully you can channel some of that anger at our target." Apologizing would only set him off. I put on my sunglasses, and left the car.

I ran out onto the golf course. The wind was strong, gusting to about 80 km/hr, coming from the east. I was standing on the top of a hill, between stands of palm trees, when I saw the figure approach from the west, from the direction of the Everglades. I knew the instant I was seen; the figure froze, and I sensed curiosity, mixed with confidence. From this distance, with the driving rain obscuring vision, I wasn't sure what I was facing. With the wind at my back, there was no scent for me to discern. I adopted a stance of neutrality, standing tall and openly on my hilltop.

The figure approached, just slightly above human speed, and stopped about 300 m distant. The figure was male, nearly my height, but broader. Something about his stance tickled my memory. Forgetting was impossible, but retrieving the correct memory was not always immediate. If I had a scent, I was sure I would know him. I sensed recognition – and surprise – from the figure.

"Jasper, Maria's invincible general." I recognized the voice at once. He gave me an appraising, confident look, as he approached to just under 200 m. Without my gift, I would have never known that fear skittered through him like fast-moving clouds across a moonlit night, chased just as quickly by curiosity and apprehension. The rain made a curtain between us, but the misty distance was now no impediment to our heightened senses.

"Hardly invincible, Gavin. It's been a long time."

"Mmm. 1931 in Mexico City. Nearly a century." Gavin was a tactician, one I grudgingly respected. He could not have laid plans for this meeting, though. I was the only tactician since the beginning of time to have a psychic at my side. Still, I needed to be careful.

"And proof in itself that I'm not invincible." One of Maria's many plans to take on more territory had been stopped by Alejandro of Mexico City using Gavin as his second-in-command.

"Oh, I'm no fool. If you'd been able to choose your own time and your own ground, you could have beaten us. Maria was too ambitious and too reckless on that attempt." I didn't answer. He was right, and I had argued with her at the time, but Maria had been unable to back down from her goal. I had no wish to revisit this part of my past, but it had dogged my steps during the whole trip. I focused my gift to subtly encourage his garrulous nature.

"I am surprised to see you. The rumor was that you were dead by Maria's hand. She won't let anyone speak your name in her presence." Gavin was cautious and curious. He wanted me to talk more.

"We parted on less than amicable terms," I said. There hadn't been a fight, but I had known one was coming. I had a feeling that someone may have paid with a shortened life when Maria realized I had slipped away.

"Ah. I wondered. She lost Monterrey again soon after your disappearance."

"Were you the one who helped her regain her favorite city?" This could explain a few things, like Maria's recent territorial moves and her attraction to the nomads. Gavin was a famous fighter in the south, at least to anyone with a memory long enough to remember him. Other than Maria, Alejandro, and myself, there were few left who could. If a long-lived nomad spread rumors about conquests with no retribution from the Volturi, Gavin could draw others to his banner.

"You've heard of my recent exploits," he said, pride infusing him.

"Only rumors," I admitted. Neither of us had made a move yet aside from our mouths. If one of us moved even an inch, the fight would begin.

"They've been flying," he stated. "Rumors begin to grow about an open vampire war, about the Volturi turning their backs on this side of the world." His pride shifted to speculation. "Your name would draw them, too, Jasper. I still hear people describe your exploits with awe. If you threw your hat in the ring, you'd be courted from Atlanta to Houston to San Diego."

"But not in Miami?" I asked. This was the question he really wanted answered. Where was I going, and what was my plan?

"Rick would not want to upset Maria." I perceived Gavin's emotional state as a darkening sky, one ripe for lightning and tornado. There was the still but heavy sense that preceded the violent storm, the pregnant pause before nature unleashed herself.

"You're here on her behalf?" I pushed him gently; anything stronger than a brush would cause him to erupt. Our conversation was nearing its end. He would be honest because he never intended for me to leave Miami alive.

"Rick admired her skills with armies, although he's taken her tactics to a new level. His selection of followers has been...inspired. Vicious humans make excellent vampires. I'm here to offer suggestions regarding his difficulties with a rival in Ft. Lauderdale." With those words, Gavin sealed his fate. His abrupt disappearance would cool the relations between Maria and Rick; neither would know who caused his disappearance. A rival in Ft. Lauderdale could be an ally for us and would likely have good intelligence on Rick's coven.

"Where is she, Jasper?" Gavin asked abruptly, his aura turning brisk with calculation.

"Who?" I asked, trying to appear that I masked concern or fear as I manipulated his confidence.

"I smell your mate on you. Where did you hide her? She must be close by." Gavin's head cocked a fraction. "There she is. How lovely." Satisfaction emanated from him as he spotted her.

Charlotte appeared from behind the palm trees, appearing to be timid. She was so tiny, nearly Alice's size, and her hesitant approach was very convincing. She was far enough away from me that she appeared vulnerable to attack.

"Char, get back," I hissed at her, while increasing Gavin's confidence another notch.

"You could not have found anyone more different from Maria," Gavin guffawed. He was preparing to spring, an obvious plan of attack open to him now.

With his first move, all hell broke loose. I charged him as he moved, and Charlotte adopted a crouch, ready to maneuver when he approached, but remaining at her original position. I hoped she could hold out if he got through me, because skilled as she was, she would be no match for him. I collided with him with an enormous crash, which threw us both back several meters. He had fallen to one knee, but was on his feet before I could fully regain my footing. He feinted toward me, trying to gauge my reactions, as we both circled. He was trying to maneuver between us, and I was keeping Charlotte at my back. Although I couldn't see her, I knew she was continuing the pretense that she was too timid to join the fight.

The second charge was mine to instigate. We crashed together, snarling, and I let the sunglasses fall as we wrestled, our feet gouging enormous trenches in the wet, well-groomed grass as we both sought traction, neither one of us able to get an arm free to land a blow or able to find an opening for our teeth. When our eyes locked, he gasped.

"You're one of _them_," he spat, his disgust a slimy, cold mud which I intensified a hundredfold. He backed away from me suddenly, still ready to spring, but disturbed to have been in close contact with me. Charlotte used his momentary distraction to land a blow on his right side, dashing away as soon as the hit connected. I followed up with resounding hit to the left side of his head, but he managed to twist his head fast enough to rip my forearm with his teeth. I growled at the pain, but more so in annoyance for letting him get through my guard. I backed away, appearing to be retreating, and gave him another surge of confidence on top of his disgust. He was completely focused on me and was nearly upon me when Peter attacked Gavin from behind, launching himself square onto Gavin's back. Charlotte and I converged, and Peter successfully decapitated Gavin with a combination of teeth and a sharp twist as we took off his arms.

I rubbed my forearm to try to ease the sting and reveled in Charlotte and Peter's elation. He used the moment to embrace her and erase my scent from her.

Charlotte laughed and swiped the sopping hair off her face. "Closer than it should have been," she said.

"You know, I think you've got all those scars because you're just a step too slow, old man." Peter grinned at me, no grudge held.

"If I'd wanted comments like that, I would have brought Emmett. Let's burn the garbage and go. I've seen as much of Miami as I care for at present." Alice would be waiting.

**AN2: Next we'll see what happens to Benjamin and the Egyptian coven.**

**The Indie Twific Awards nominations are open until Jan. 28. These are for lesser-known fics, defined as those with fewer than 30 reviews per chapter for works in progress or less than 1000 for completed works. It's a fun way to participate in the fandom and a fantastic way to find good stories to read. The link is on my profile from last round's nomination of The Cold War. The address is theindietwificawards dot com.**


	7. Chapter 6: Betrayal

**Disclaimer: Everything in the Twilight universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**AN: Thanks ever so much to the pre-reading and reviewing by edward-bella-harry-ginny, Justine Lark, Noble Korhedron, and thedu. They also shared very nice words with me (i.e., rewrote some paragraphs) which made this chapter make a lot more sense. **

**Long(er) AN at the end.**

**RECAP: I know. It's been a while.**

Jasper has just finished dispatching an old enemy, Gavin, in Miami. He's travelling with his old friends Peter and Charlotte. (This was the topic of Ch. 5.)  
Alice, Esme, and Carlisle are in Minneapolis looking for housing as they are all relocating there. Emmett and Rosalie are in Maine where the current Cullen reidence is.  
Bella and Edward are in the Seattle area with Charlie, Sue, Billy, Jacob, and Renesmee. Jake, Ness, Bella, and Edward were planning to drive back to Maine together, but the short vacation was interrupted by a call from Alice (end of Ch. 4) letting them know about an imminent attack on Benjamin in Egypt by the Volturi.

**Warning: POV shifts. Yeah, I'm giving a warning. Every time I put in the horizontal line, it represents a POV shift. I do it three times in this chapter, and it goes Jasper-Bella-Edward-Bella.**

_Though those that are betray'd  
Do feel the treason sharply, yet the traitor  
Stands in worse case of woe  
Shakespeare, Cymbeline, Act III scene iv_

Ch. 6. Betrayal

Destroying Gavin wasn't as satisfying as I'd expected. Another piece of my past was gone forever; the number of people who had those shared experiences was dwindling. Should I grieve the loss? If a time came when I was the only one who could remember, would it no longer seem real?

"You're awfully quiet," Charlotte commented. She had turned in her seat so she could see me. We were passing through Georgia.

I shook my head. I was craving Alice's presence, and I didn't feel like talking. I considered the results of our trip. Gavin's appearance and subsequent demise was an unexpected bonus: we now knew that Maria and Rick were linked, and we had eliminated that link while remaining invisible. We had successfully mapped out the vampire population of Miami between my abortive decisions to explore and Alice's visions.

My phone buzzed; Alice was calling. The moment I answered the call, Alice launched into a rapid-fire monologue.

"It's Caius, Jas. He slipped, and I caught a whole wave of plans. They're going after Benjamin immediately, sending Felix and two others. We've got three days, assuming everything stays the same. I could see everything, which can only mean he's not sending a hybrid or Demetri. I don't know what it all means, but we can't contact the Egyptians because they never sent us another phone and they don't use any other communication. What do you think we should do?"

We couldn't let Benjamin go, even though it was the safest course of action for everyone I truly cared about. If word spread, the alliance could crumble. We had to develop a plan to extract Benjamin. Could anyone go in our place?

"Call Siobhan, Charles and Makenna, Alistair, any of the European allies. We need to know if someone can slip down to Cairo and find Amun's coven before the time is up. Is Carlisle there?"

"I'll put him on with you. We may need Carlisle to make the calls, though." There was a pause of perhaps thirty seconds.

"Jasper, I'm concerned this is a ploy to lure some or all of us to a location of their choosing," Carlisle told me quickly.

"I agree; this is surely a trap. Unfortunately, we are obligated to do what we can." My contact with Amun had been limited; he had left just before the final showdown with the Volturi twenty years ago, and Alice and I had missed him. Alice and Edward had visited his coven several times since; I had never accompanied them on those trips, but Edward had kept me informed. Amun could not be trusted, and Carlisle's ability or preference to provide anyone the benefit of the doubt was not serving him well with the Egyptian coven.

"Yes," Carlisle sighed. "You think we should contact the Europeans first?"

"It's the best choice; they can get to Egypt in less than a day." I was aware of Peter and Charlotte listening to our discussion. "You realize that if we're unsuccessful, it will be because Amun chose to cut off relations with us."

"It was his choice," conceded Carlisle. "But I doubt that Benjamin and Tia were given a choice. Amun takes his patriarchal role very seriously."

"He may also be working with the Volturi." I was still concerned about the timing of his last, disastrous demand for Alice and Edward to visit.

"I think Alice would see that. If he planned to harm us, she would see." Carlisle was firm, and I had to admit his point was valid. "We'll call again when we know more."

"Bad news," Peter said quietly. "Is this the beginning of the destruction of the alliance?" We had waited nearly 20 years for the Volturi to take their revenge. If this was the beginning, everyone who had stood with us in Washington needed to escape now to the Western hemisphere.

"I'm not sure. Benjamin is unique; he may not be as desirable to Aro as Edward, Alice, or Bella, but he has a gift unparalleled by any that we know."

"How did the Volturi recognize that the Egyptians were so vulnerable?" asked Charlotte.

"That's a concern. This is the second time the Volturi have used the Egyptians as a point of attack, if I'm reading the situation correctly." I tried to think through every possibility. What was the connection?

"Do you think it's any safer for your European allies to warn them?" asked Peter. He was concerned, whether about the attacks or about our response, I couldn't be sure.

"It's the timing. Alice predicts three days. With travel restrictions the way they are, the earliest we can get out with false passports and visas is the day after tomorrow. The flights themselves take nearly 24 hours. We'll be lucky to arrive in time. The Europeans can be there tomorrow, long before the Volturi make their move."

"Does anyone besides Alice and Edward know how to contact them?" Peter queried. I sighed in defeat.

"No. Of course, we can give directions, but the most obvious path is for Edward or Alice to go, as soon as the trip can be expedited." Aside from the difficulties of locating the coven, anyone we sent would be viewed with extreme suspicion. Carlisle, Alice, and Edward were the only visitors likely to be welcomed.

Peter took the next exit, which would put us in Savannah. "I think you'll need access to an internet terminal," he told me. Hacking into government computers was too dangerous over the wireless connections. The trails through the phone company computers were more difficult to erase. My reunion with Alice would be later than I'd hoped.

* * *

I nudged Edward's knee gently with mine. He had frozen again, a sign of his stress. Only rarely did Edward's usually perfect human charade crack when we were in public. The constant barrage of human thoughts prevented him from forgetting his need to act "normal." He took a deep breath and turned his head to give me a weak smile.

"Nearly everyone's asleep, love. Only the pilots and the flight attendants are awake, and they're nowhere near us."

Once again we were on a plane, this time ensconced in business class en route to Egypt via the Pacific. Apparently the Volturi were watching our most likely points of arrival; Alice had found the fastest route which resulted in our safe arrival.

"What are you thinking about?" I murmured so as not to wake the passengers around us. He had a plethora of stressful issues to consider; until we'd stepped on the plane, we'd been in a whirlwind of preparations and discussions. With nothing to do on the plane but sit and think, the anxiety over what we were attempting was increasing.

"Ness." His one word answer was clipped as he held back emotion. "I don't like leaving things such a mess with her." Our hurried preparations for Cairo had not met with universal approval. The stereotype about redheads having fiery tempers had been supported by Nessie's screeching and Edward's mild loss of control. We were going to lose, at the very least, our security deposit on the weekend rental, which now sported an Edward-fist-sized dent in the master bedroom wall.

"Our daughter has a temper, and she comes by it honestly," I told him. "But she always forgives."

"She gets that from you," he told me, his face downcast.

Nessie's tantrum – I couldn't call it anything less – had arisen when she decided saving Benjamin the vampire was a miscarriage of justice when Randall the hybrid was still in the Volturi's clutches. She blamed Edward and Carlisle for that decision, but more than that, she blamed herself.

"Nonsense," I told him. "You've forgiven me for some truly horrible things."

"Nonsense?" One corner of his mouth turned up. "You're the one who's absurd. For me to forgive you, you would have to actually do something horrible." I would never win _this_ argument. I sidestepped his attempts to deflect our conversation, and went back to his fight with our daughter.

"She said some very mean things in the heat of the moment, but even she recognizes that none of us could conscionably sacrifice large numbers of people to save Randall." I squeezed his hand. "She is angriest at herself, for promising Randall things she couldn't deliver. And, I think she is struggling with the knowledge that her biggest hero has feet of clay." I winced a little at the analogy since Edward's feet were most certainly not made of clay. In fact, they were some of the sexiest feet I had ever seen, smooth, neatly proportioned, and graceful. I struggled to refocus back on our discussion.

"Pardon?" asked Edward, true confusion written on his angelic features.

"Oh, sweetheart." I kissed our entwined hands. "Renesmee isn't naïve; she knows intellectually that you aren't perfect, but daughters always have some ideal that their father can solve any problem. You've always been able to fix anything – you stood up to Aro and an army of enemy vampires; you spotted the dangers Josh brought to our family; you travel the world to cement the alliance; you treat me and Ness like the queen and princess of the realm." He looked at me with mild disbelief. "This is the first time that you didn't solve the problem to give everyone their happy ending."

"Love, I read minds. I think I would know if she were thinking all this."

"I know, but without Jasper in the room, you can't tell that she's _feeling_ all of this." I had known how Ness felt since she and Jake had left us in May to stay with the Quileutes. I had also presumed that she would work through her issues with the help of time and Jake, but apparently I needed to do a motherly intervention when we got back. "I don't think she has verbalized all this to herself. I also think Ness was shocked to know that we're violating the détente by travelling to Cairo to attempt this rescue. She doesn't want to lose both of us at once."

"I agree with her there. I'm rethinking our plan," he told me. "There had to be a way to leave you at home. You could still take a plane back immediately." His lips compressed into a thin, white line, and a crease formed between his eyebrows.

"There was no way to leave me at home, and you know it." I rubbed the back of his hand to take away the sting of the words. I wasn't angry, but we all needed Edward to focus on what was possible. "If you want to rethink the plan, you should consider the escape route that Sean has proposed." The aftermath of Alice's call about Benjamin had been semi-organized chaos for our family, spread across the country as we were. The Egyptians had never sent another phone and were effectively cut off from us. Siobhan's coven was the closest ally that could be reached on short notice. Charles and Makenna were in Europe as far as we knew, but disturbingly hadn't answered their cell. Alistair was elusive as usual.

In the end, Maggie's mate Sean had agreed to travel to Cairo to warn Benjamin and help him and the others escape if possible, but only if Edward would also go to help. I had never met Sean, although I knew Edward liked him and his open thoughts. I was guessing he was somewhat of a character since, while we used a car and normal highway driving on the way in, he had us snaking through Cairo to the Nile as part of our escape. I didn't understand why we couldn't just jump back in the car and drive away. In any case, Alice had made our flight arrangements, and Jasper had made our fake visas and passports "real" with expert hacking into government computers, while on the road, no less. Edward had been on the phone with Carlisle, Jasper, and Alice nearly nonstop while I had travelled to Seattle with Nessie to pick up our documents from Jenks and Sons.

Sean had been a logical choice since he had never had contact with the Volturi; he could fly under the radar known as Demetri. Edward, on the other hand, was supposed to be living in the Western Hemisphere, and I was traveling with him to serve as his invisibility cloak. At one time, extending my shield for days on end would have been impossible. With Edward, it was always easier. I could sense the people inside my shield, and Edward had always felt different, a brighter burning light wrapped inside the impenetrable membrane of my mind. I no longer had to flex to shield him like I did with others; perhaps my instincts had recognized that protecting Edward was the same as protecting myself.

"Carlisle didn't want us to go," Edward told me quietly. "He agreed with Jasper that this is likely to be a trap, and he was concerned about Alice's visions." Any plans Jasper formulated which had additional family members accompanying us led to either a disaster or to Alice's vision completely vanishing. The visions with Edward and me were hazy and indistinct; our plans had been made, but unmade decisions outside our family were influencing Alice's gift.

"What did he want to do about Benjamin?" I asked, somewhat surprised. I didn't think Carlisle would withhold aid from the alliance for a feeling Jasper had, not when Alice's original vision had been so strong. Benjamin was definitely in danger, and we couldn't be sure this was a trap. "And how could the Volturi know that Sean would insist that you help?"

"I'm sure that Benjamin is their primary goal in Egypt," Edward said. "Jasper has a point, though. We need to assume this is a trap."

We both fell silent for a time, feigning sleep. My mind raced through the plans Edward, Jasper, and Alice had developed to spirit the Egyptians to America; so many different things could go wrong. I had to nudge Edward twice in two hours. Even sleeping humans were more animated than he appeared.

"Bella?" he asked quietly.

"Hmm?" I turned my head toward him and cracked my eyelids. I still held his hand, and I gave it a squeeze.

"If this is a trap, Sarah could be involved."

"Yes." I'd already gone that route and decided I would keep my thoughts to myself.

"Please, promise me you will not go after her." I felt his left hand twitch in mine, and I squeezed it again.

"Why?" It was hard to keep my voice in the proper register. If a fight was in the works with Sarah, I was not backing down. I knew how much threats against me affected Edward. He needed to know that I was just as ready to defend him.

"I can't…" He stopped, and the tortured-Edward look made a quick appearance. "I'm already worried about you being with me instead of being safe at home. I can't lose you. I don't think I can do what I need to do if I also have to worry about how you're going to pick a fight with Miss Eighties psycho killer."

"Qu'est-ce que c'est," I murmured, squeezing his hand again. He took it for a capitulation.

"Good tune. Right decade, too; it came out just a few years before she was turned. You've got good taste in music."

"I learned from a master," I responded, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.

Edward checked his watch, and his tension seemed to drain away. "It's midnight, Bella."

"Okay?" What did he have up his sleeve?

"Close your eyes, love."

"What? Why?"

"Shh. Please." The "please" was accompanied by the pleading-Edward look. He was devastating when he wasn't trying to persuade me, and I was a sucker for the "please." When he included the eyes and the pouting mouth, I was lost. My eyes fell shut, and I felt his lips brush mine softly. A rustling noise ended with something being placed in my hands.

"You can open your eyes now." I opened my eyes and saw an exquisitely wrapped small box in my hands. The paper was a thick foil in a blue pattern which mimicked fine china. A tiny metallic blue bow was on one corner of the box. "Happy anniversary, love."

"Uh, Edward? You're a day early." I distinctly remembered getting married on August 13.

He leaned forward and planted another kiss on me. "We crossed the international date line. We jumped a day. Happy twentieth." I blinked in surprise. He was right. I hadn't thought of that in the stress of the trip. "Now could you open it? Please?"

I slid a thumbnail under the wrapping and slid the paper off to reveal a small pale blue box. I opened it, and saw a beautiful pendant, approximately three quarters of an inch in size. It was white with an exquisite blue chrysanthemum on it.

"Twenty years is china, but somehow I thought a china set was not your first choice of gifts. This pendant is from a shard of antique china." Edward lifted the pendant and accompanying thick silver chain from the box and put the necklace on me. The chain was choker length, so the pendant nestled just below the hollow of my throat. "Chrysanthemums are a fall flower, and with your September birthday, I thought the flower and the color were perfect for you." With one slender finger, he traced the path the chain made around my neck. "It's beautiful on you." Edward's eyes were burning with the love we shared and the desperation of needing to keep me safe. I leaned into him, and we kissed, trying to convey to each other the love and the need we both had in one simple touch.

"Thank you, I love it," I said breathlessly. The pendant was beautiful, and the symbolism made it uniquely mine, uniquely from Edward. It was perfect. His gift was inside my suitcase in the cargo space of the plane; he must have told Alice not to warn me. It was no fair taking sides like that. She was definitely getting a piece of my mind when we got back.

"You can also thank Emmett, Jasper, and Alice," Edward added wryly. "The shard is from one of the Masen antiques, an heirloom vase of my father's. I had passed it to Esme and Carlisle on their twentieth anniversary, but one day in late 1963 there was a fight and a crash. I had thought all the pieces were thrown away, but apparently Alice saved a key piece."

"In 1963, she saved a piece of a broken vase so you could give it to me in 2026? I didn't think her gift worked like that."

"Every now and then Alice will have something more nebulous than a vision. She loves it when a feeling from fifty years ago becomes a vision and then a reality." Edward smiled indulgently, thinking of our sister's antics.

I grabbed a piece of blank paper from my bag and a black pen. I wrote "You crazy witch! Thanks! I love it!" on the paper.

"Do you think she'll see?" I asked Edward. "We can't call from the plane."

"Oh, she'll see it. You didn't even have to write it out; she saw once you decided to do it."

We settled into our seats and talked quietly about everything we had done in the last twenty years and nothing about what we would be doing in the next few days. We talked through our wedding and honeymoon and the first days of our new life together and Renesmee's short days as a baby. Edward reminded me of little moments from our first summer together, and I talked about my hazy memories of the first time I saw him. For a few brief moments, our purpose for travel was pushed aside as we celebrated our life together.

When the flight attendants announced (in three languages) that we needed to prepare for landing, I tensed in spite of myself. If I appeared to panic, Edward would surely stick me on a flight home.

"It will be okay," murmured Edward. "They can't know we're here. Jasper was careful, and you keep us invisible." I wasn't sure if he was reassuring me or reminding himself. Even our last trip to Boston didn't give me this sudden sense of flying with no net. Of course, we'd had everyone with us. I hadn't realized until this moment how much security I derived from having all of us together, working together, ready to fight together. I knew there was no way I would or could allow Edward to do this alone.

"I'm ready."

Following Edward through customs was expeditious; he was able to find the least officious official, and he was able to slip him the precise bribe that was expected. It was impossible to be inconspicuous when we both resembled supermodels in grungy jeans and flannel, but Edward ensured that we did nothing extraordinary as we navigated the airport. We had a room at the nearby Hilton; it was a good place to leave our luggage. At the hotel, which was not quite up to Edward's usual extravagant standards, I was again impressed with his abilities to negotiate the obstacles of poorly trained and unmotivated staff.

We stepped into our room, and Edward frowned. "This isn't how I envisioned our anniversary," he said.

"I don't mind," I soothed. "I've never been to Egypt, and I'm too excited to care about our room. And I was wondering when we're to meet Sean?"

"We have about two hours," he told me, a familiar glint coming into his eyes. The desperation we had both felt on the plane came roaring back.

"Let me get washed up. Can you go through my suitcase and find my shampoo?" I hurried into the bathroom and disrobed, listening for him. I heard the zipper to my bag, and the sound of Edward gasping in surprise. I wrapped myself in a towel and came out into the room.

Edward stood at my suitcase, his back to me. I could see he was holding my gift to him. Alice had made an exquisite pencil sketch of me holding Renesmee; it was from the first night I had held her until she had fallen asleep in my arms. I was holding Renesmee's hand to my face while she slept in my arms; the expression on my face was awe for the new life I had and the new life I held. I could even recall that at that exact moment, I had been seeing Renesmee's baby dreams. The frame was a lovely porcelain with a pattern of flowers and swans, in traditional china blue of course.

"Do you like it?"

"Every single thing I wanted, plus all the things I didn't think to ask for. That's what this picture is for me." When Edward turned, his face was alight with both love and desire, the edge of desperation muted. We made use of every minute until it was time to meet Sean in the hotel lounge.

August was the hottest part of the year in Alexandria, and Edward and I dressed as tourists in khaki shorts and linen button-down shirts. We had our sunglasses, and he carried a camera bag. "You'll like Sean, I think. He reminds me in some ways of Emmett." For some reason, I pictured Emmett dressed as the Lucky Charms leprechaun, cautioning me about the magically delicious humans. I shook my head. I had really liked Lucky Charms at one time.

"Edward! Good to see you alive and well. This must be your beautiful lady Bella." Sean was not as large as Emmett, but he was broadly built. He was wearing contacts, I assumed, as his eyes were an odd shade of brown. He had straight dirty blonde hair, long enough to tumble into his eyes, and a very roguish look to him. He took my hand and kissed it with a grin that made me laugh.

"Good to see you as well. Shall we head out?"

"Always businesslike, is he?" asked Sean conspiratorially as he ushered us toward the hotel exit.

"Well, no, not always," I responded with a slight stutter. Had I been human, I would have blushed since my thoughts were considering the decidedly unbusinesslike behavior Edward had just finished demonstrating in our hotel room. Edward's hand on my back and the ghost of a smile on his face told me he knew exactly what had just passed through my mind.

"Your car, Mr. O'Rourke." The valet opened the door of a nondescript rental car. The sun would be coming up shortly, but the car had the one feature we required: dark window tinting. Sean took the wheel, Edward took shotgun, and I slid into the backseat. We were soon speeding down the highway to Cairo in the predawn light.

"How will we find these Egyptian friends of yours?" asked Sean.

"Last I knew, they rotated between a place on the eastern edge of Cairo and another apartment near the Giza Necropolis."

"I've always wanted to see the pyramids," I put in helpfully (and hopefully).

"I was planning to try there first," admitted Edward.

"How long have you been with Maggie?" I asked Sean. "I haven't seen her for nearly 15 years." Edward and I had visited London for our fifth anniversary, and we had stopped in to see Siobhan's coven on the trip.

"About five years. I stopped by to pay my respects to my ever-taciturn sire, and one thing led to another."

"Liam is your sire?" I asked, fascinated. For some reason, I couldn't reconcile it in my head. I couldn't imagine Liam doing anything except boring people to death with his silent scowling.

"Oh, indeed. I was busy breaking into what I thought was an empty flat, when Liam surprised me. I offered him whiskey, but the strange fellow was having none of it. I told him he had some really freakishly creepy eyes and that he ought not to stare at people that way. Makes them feel like they're on the menu."

"You didn't!" I laughed, but a bit uneasily. Liam did tend to stare during his scowling.

"I was a bit of a rogue, to be honest. I had some trouble with drinking, I wasn't always careful about the rules of property, and I liked more than my fair share of the fairer sex. The one thing I was always able to do was tell the truth. In fact, the truth got me into more trouble than all the drinking, thieving, and wenching." Edward unsuccessfully attempted to suppress a laugh at this point, apparently seeing a memory in Sean's mind.

"I can see how that could have been a problem," Edward commented.

"Liam asked me what I was doing in his place, and when I told him I was looking to relieve him of a few easily fenced items, he found himself interested enough to save me, as he put it."

"He found your honesty refreshing?" I asked.

"Exactly. And it all worked out for the best. Maggie can't bear lying, and I seem to be incapable." Sean swiveled his head, and gave me the disarming grin of the irrepressible charmer.

"Turn here for Giza," advised Edward. The morning traffic was heavy, and our progress was slow. It would have been much faster to run, but the August sun was already beating down on the sprawling metropolis. If Edward followed his plan, we wouldn't get out of the car until he had definitively located Benjamin. He wanted to minimize our scent trails if the Volturi arrived earlier than Alice expected. We still had about eleven hours, after the sky would reach full darkness.

We wound through narrow streets, eventually stopping in front of a four-story apartment building.

"Tia and Benjamin are here," Edward announced, and Sean parked smoothly in a spot which appeared far too small for the vehicle.

"Thank goodness," I said in relief. The street was so narrow and the buildings tall enough that the street level was entirely shaded at this hour of the morning. We exited the car and Edward led us to the correct apartment.

"Benjamin? Tia?" called Edward softly as we climbed to the fourth floor. When we reached the upper landing, Benjamin was standing in the doorway to the apartment, surprise on his face.

"Edward, my friend, it is so good to see you. And Bella, you as well." Benjamin's greeting was kind, but he knew our visit was not social. Tia flitted to his side, her brow furrowed. The two made a beautiful couple with their raven hair and olive skin, even though they looked like they were barely old enough to attend a high school prom.

"What's happened?" she asked in stress. "Come into the apartment. Where are your manners, Benjamin?"

"First, let me introduce Sean from Siobhan's coven. He's mated to Maggie." Edward made the introductions while I absorbed the décor in the apartment. There were brightly colored oriental rugs on the wooden floor, and intricate wooden screens against the walls. There was no furniture, but colorful pillows adorned the floor. Books were stacked in tall pillars against one wall. I turned back to listen as Edward launched into a rapid explanation of Alice's vision.

"We should go, now," Tia urged, her face showing her panic. I knew how she felt. If I knew the Volturi were hours away from taking Edward, I would have been paralyzed from stress.

"Amun and Kebi won't be back until after dark," Benjamin said slowly. "How much time do we have?"

Edward looked at him sharply but quickly composed himself. "Only about eleven hours. That will make the timing an issue. Can you contact them? Bring them back early?"

"No, the separation wasn't planned. We had…words." Benjamin grimaced. "We've been at odds since the plane you were supposed to be on was destroyed." I sensed something different in Benjamin from the last I had seen him nearly twenty years ago. He exuded a maturity at odds with his young face.

"Ah, trouble with the sire, eh?" Sean asked. "I know the very feeling. In fact, this trip is a vacation of sorts for me. It's a hard thing, always living with your sire and what amounts to your mother-in-law." I could see how Sean's honesty had led to trouble in the past.

Edward's eyes flipped from Sean to me to Benjamin and Tia, and then back to me. "I think Sean should take you and Tia now. Benjamin and I can wait for Amun and Kebi to return."

"No." Tia and I spoke at the same time, with the same tone of voice. "Edward," I continued, "you need me to shield you. We can't take the chance that Demetri will check for your location and realize you're a lot closer to Italy than you should be. We stay together."

"I'm willing to wait. What's a rescue mission without a little danger?" Sean's question received no answers as I stared down Edward. I could see his jaw flexing, but at least his teeth weren't grinding. Across the room, Tia and Benjamin were playing out a similar standoff. "I never realized I could feel the chill as a vampire, but the temperature is dropping rapidly."

Edward sighed, ignoring Sean's attempt to lighten the mood. "You're right. We wait together until tonight when Amun and Kebi return."

We spent the rest of the day bringing Sean, Tia, and Benjamin up to speed about the situations in Miami and Monterrey, and the likelihood that the Volturi were encouraging Maria and Rick to build new armies. The most alarming moment came when Edward mentioned how Enrico had referred to us as "heretics."

"Heretics?" asked Benjamin, his voice an intense hiss. "He called you heretics."

"Yes," said Edward. "Yes, it is an unusual word choice." Edward was answering an unspoken question.

"What?" I asked. "What is so surprising about this?"

"Amun has started referring to you – Carlisle's coven – as heretics." Benjamin stood and turned his back to us. "It's too much of a coincidence."

"The only possible connection is the Volturi," agreed Edward. "But if Amun is cooperating with the Volturi, why would they send Felix for you?"

There was no answer for this, and the tense atmosphere began to feel charged. The conversation shifted to concerns about the scattered alliance members, but the discussions were highly speculative since there was no information to analyze. Eventually, we all fell silent. I was certain we all were thinking the same thoughts – we had dropped from an eleven hour window to just minutes to get everyone out of Cairo. What I had felt was an overly-complicated escape plan devised by Sean was becoming more and more attractive. We no longer had the time simply to drive away. The room began to darken as the sun fell lower on the horizon.

"How much time?" I asked Edward.

"Two hours, perhaps," he answered absently. He was concentrating, eyes squeezed shut, pinching the bridge of his nose, filtering mental voices. We were in the midst of an enormous metropolitan area, and he was listening amongst the millions for Amun, Kebi, Felix, and anyone else he could recognize as a vampire. I had a pang of worry for him. I wasn't sure if he was more willing to show vulnerability to me after we had been together for so long, or if he was having greater difficulty silencing the voices in his head. He was becoming more and more anxious in large crowds.

"You can see the tops of the pyramids from the apartment roof," Tia murmured to me. "Now that it's dark, we can go up and look."

Benjamin and Edward glanced at each other, and Benjamin nodded. "It's only one floor up," he said aloud.

Tia ushered me out the door and up a flight of stairs. "Your…sister…Alice enjoyed the view when they were here last," Tia told me. She stumbled a bit over the word "sister," presumably because it was such an alien concept for vampires. "She said it put the future into perspective to see this monument to the past."

I could see the tops of the pyramids, lit from below for effect. Their buff-colored shapes pointing to the navy, diamond-studded heavens twisted something inside me, an emotion I couldn't place. My eyes pricked from the venom tears which couldn't fall. Alice was right; the human existence seemed dwarfed by these monuments to long-dead kings. My love with Edward, my dear family, the conflict with the Volturi – everything that made my life seemed momentarily inconsequential and ephemeral.

"I think Amun chose this place so he could make them more mundane," Tia said in her soft voice. "He could be more if they were less. Benjamin and I love this view, but Amun has grown more and more bitter when he comes to this apartment."

We stood quietly under the evening sky. The noises and scents of the crowded neighborhood filled the air – crying children, scolding parents, impatient traffic, laughing friends out for a meal, cooking garlic, car exhaust – all the normal sounds of life contrasted with my view of the ancient monuments under the much older swathe of the Milky Way.

"Kebi's coming, and she's alone." Edward's voice at vampire frequency pierced my reverie. Tia and I turned to each other, and I saw her eyes had grown large with fear.

"She's never alone," Tia said, so quickly I could barely register her words. We were down the stairs and back to the apartment so swiftly that the men in the room were still reacting to his words.

"How far is she?" I asked urgently.

"She's moving fast. Only a minute or two. She's afraid for Benjamin; she and Amun have already seen the Volturi and he fought them so she could get away. We go as soon as she arrives." Edward's eyes burned into me, and I sensed his panic that the timing was closer than we wanted. The burn phone in his pocket vibrated.

"That plan will not work, Edward!" Alice yelled the moment he answered. "Bella gets captured, and you follow after her. You need to separate!"

"No, we can't." Edward's voice was grim and emphatic.

"Just try it, Edward." I could hear the emotion in Alice's voice as she contemplated losing us both. I watched Edward's face as he struggled to make a decision he didn't believe in. "Please, Edward. Yes! That's it. Do that!"

Edward's face crumpled. "Okay. We'll do it."

"Yes, it has to be you and Benjamin together with Kebi while Tia goes with Sean and Bella. Good luck."

The line went dead, and Edward crumpled the phone into dust. He was instantly at my side, one hand on my cheek, the other on my hip. "Immortality should give us all the time in the world, but we've been caught short again." He pressed his lips to mine, and my eyes fell shut as I felt his smooth lips on mine, felt the pressure of his hands on me, and breathed his Edward scent.

"Go," he told Sean as he stepped away from me.

* * *

Sean, Bella, and Tia exited the building and took the rental car down the street. Benjamin had turned on the tap in the kitchen. I lost my contact with Sean's and Tia's thoughts, and I knew Bella's shield no longer contained me.

"Open the windows, please," Benjamin asked in clipped tones. I could feel him concentrating, his thoughts focused on the flowing water and the air currents I stirred as I moved across the room and threw open the windows. Through his thoughts, I could see the air moving in a focused stream through the window, across the room, and through the flowing water. He was saturating the air with water vapor, and using the moist air to purge our scents from the room. The moistened, scented air was leaving by another window, and I could make out the column of moving air streaming over the buildings across the street – the index of refraction was fractionally different from the drier air around it.

_Go to the door and open it._ Benjamin's concentration wavered for a brief instant as he ordered me out of the room, and I could see the air columns waver before he recovered. Benjamin followed me slowly out of the room. He scoured the room with the water from the flowing tap, following it with a blast of air from the window to dry the lingering drops. The majority of the water flow followed us down the stairs. When we reached the bottom, he dried the stairs and let the remaining water trickle into a drain in the street.

"They might not be able to detect you now," Benjamin said. Kebi was nearer now; perhaps only a few blocks away. She had slowed when she encountered a crowd. "I can dissipate our scents when we run. If we're lucky, we can get you and Bella home with no one the wiser. If there was more water in the air, I could make it rain, but it's too dry." The wind began to blow, at first a mild breeze, but building to a steady wind. I could see Benjamin straining and hear his concentration. "It's easier if the air is already moving. Let's go to Kebi."

I led Benjamin east toward Kebi's thoughts. I could feel air rushing under each step I took. Benjamin was cushioning each of our steps with a layer of air; effectively scrubbing away any evidence of our passage.

"Benjamin!" I heard Kebi's voice for the first time; she had a rich contralto. She caught him about the shoulders, and shook, her mouth forming words but with no sounds emerging. The cascade of images in her mind was terrible. I could see Felix had come with two others, and Amun had fought with them to give Kebi time to find us. She imagined they were very close behind her.

"Into the alley and up," I said. We didn't have time for Benjamin to hear Kebi's story. The three of us jumped to the roof of the apartment building, thankfully masked by the darkness of the alley. Benjamin's broom of air swept away our passage into the alley, but he could do nothing about the path Kebi had made on her way to find us.

"This way," I pointed northwest. There was an unbroken line of roofs for us to follow in that direction. It had the additional benefit of being at a sharp angle to Kebi's approach. We leapt from rooftop to rooftop for some time in the brisk wind. About two miles beyond, we descended to the ground.

"Keep moving," I urged.

"Do you hear them behind us?" asked Benjamin.

"No," I admitted. "But it's hard to hear one mind among so many." I didn't want to admit how much trouble I was having in big cities. I was reminded of my experience in the Boston airport. Why was I having so much trouble blocking out the extraneous voices?

"Give us a moment," Benjamin said, stress making his tone sharp. He put his arm around Kebi, who leaned into him. Being with Benjamin had calmed her a little. "What happened?" His voice had softened for her. Amun's coven was, in some ways, more unusual than our own. Tia and Benjamin loved Kebi deeply.

Kebi launched into an explanation I could follow only in broad strokes from her mind; they were speaking Arabic. She asked first about Tia, and Benjamin reassured her that Tia was as safe as we could make her. I turned away to give them physical space, but I followed as much of their discussion as I could while listening for Felix. Kebi was distraught about Amun fighting the Volturi. He had not expected them to become violent. She was certain he was destroyed in saving her. She was even further distressed by how the Volturi had come to be in Cairo. Apparently, Benjamin's friendship with Alice and me had precipitated Amun into offering Benjamin to the Volturi for safekeeping from the "heretics." Caius had agreed to this plan, but apparently had no intention of keeping his half of the bargain. Felix had come to collect Benjamin and destroy the rest of the coven.

Benjamin was in shock, absorbing the unbelievable story. Kebi turned to me, addressing me for the first time in all the time I had known her. "Save my Tia. She is all I have left. My mate is gone. He has destroyed our coven and himself. He has destroyed me."

Benjamin cried out, grabbing at his hair, and began to beg her in Arabic to come with us; some of the words were beginning to make sense to me – Benjamin referred to her as his "dearest mother," or perhaps "revered mother." She shook her head violently

"Run!" Kebi commanded both of us. "Save Tia, Benjamin. Do not be caught by this trap. I will not exist without him. I have no wish to leave this land for another." Kebi continued on for a moment in Arabic; my interpretation was that she was giving Benjamin a message for her "beloved daughter." Kebi addressed both of us again. "Let me give you this, this extra time. I will lead them away. Please."

Benjamin wavered. His mind was flooded with indecision – he loved Kebi, but he also wished to honor her request. "Tia will be heartbroken." His face was distorted with grief.

"She will understand. She would do the same if it were you who was gone, son of my heart." Kebi touched him on the face. "Go now. I will return to where I met you and lead them away." Kebi leaped for the roof beside us and was gone.

Benjamin stood for a full minute, his eyes trained where Kebi had disappeared. I had to give him that minute to sort through the chaos in his mind and to pay respect to his overwhelming grief. He was in agony for the betrayal wrought by Amun, who he truly considered his father despite their differences. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time to wait for him to come full to terms with his pain. We needed to reunite with our party and hopefully make an escape to Alexandria. "We should go." Benjamin didn't respond verbally, but followed me as I made my way through the streets and alleys in a long circuit toward Cairo.

About halfway to our destination – the banks of the Nile – I froze. "Stop. Vampire in this direction. I don't recognize the voice." Benjamin headed down a new street, perpendicular to our original direction. I was following the thoughts of the vampire – his name was Jacques – blocking our previous path. The bored mental voice was receding in the distance, being obscured by the thousands of other whispering voices as we made our way further north, paralleling the river. The mass of thoughts around me made it difficult to keep concentrating on the fading voice. Benjamin led us up a smaller alleyway that would take us to a busier thoroughfare that we could take towards the river. Just as we reached the end of the street, I was slammed with a very close, very familiar vampire mind over the droning murmurs. Felix! I slowed incrementally to try and pinpoint him.

_The female put up too much fight. The earthmover has to be close..._

Benjamin pulled farther ahead of me when I reduced my speed to concentrate; too late, I realized that we were running straight towards him.

"Stop!" I hissed in vampire frequency just as Benjamin tore out of the alley. He obediently froze in his tracks, but didn't step back as I had hoped. Instead he looked around wildly, and I saw through his eyes the exact moment that Felix caught sight of him, several blocks to Benjamin's left. Felix spoke into a device – either phone or 2-way radio – and the question of fighting or running was solved. He was calling in reinforcements.

"Move!" I hissed again, and Benjamin jumped into action, running in the opposite direction of Felix.

_I thought I heard you, Edward. You have been naughty, haven't you? You're awfully far from home..._

We ran faster, Benjamin stirring the air behind us and down side streets as well. He was stirring as much dust as he could in all directions, hoping to obscure our visibility.

I could sense Felix falling farther behind us; we had opened a full mile between us and the distance was increasing. We were both built for running; Felix was not. I was beginning to believe we would escape and simultaneously lead Felix away from our mates, when I saw the billowing mist. I tried to halt before I reached it, but Benjamin careened into my back, pushing us both into Alec's control. I instantly lost all sense of sight, sound, smell, and equilibrium; I could have been a disembodied soul. The shock was confusing. I didn't know if I had fallen on my face or if I was frozen upright. Vampires have a strong kinesthesia; our senses are so acute that we are never in doubt of our body placement or which muscles are tensed or flexed. I could have been in a fetal position or still standing upright for all I could feel under Alec's influence.

In that first instant of confusion, one corner of my mind stayed sane enough to conjure up an image of Bella and Renesmee laughing together from our family barbecue. I hoped it wasn't the last time we would all be together and happy.

Amidst the disorientation, I had another shock. I could still hear the thoughts of Felix, Alec, and Benjamin, making it possible to see myself peripherally through Alec's eyes, and then Felix's as he approached us, walking slowly now. I still stood upright, frozen, a look somewhere between horror and shock on my face. Alec took his time to step toward me, shaking his head and smiling.

"Master Aro was right," Alec stated with satisfaction.

"Of course, he was right," Felix growled. "But about what?" He was angry; his plans to capture us alone had been thwarted.

"Look at the mind-reader. I couldn't be sure that my talent would work on him, but he's frozen in shock. Master Aro allowed me to test my powers on himself to be sure they would work on the heretic, but I didn't feel certain until this moment." I didn't try to move or change my expression, concerned I would alert Alec to my remaining sense.

Alec's gift was cutting off the physical senses in one layer of my brain, yet was clearly not affecting the part where my gift functioned – perhaps Aro's need to touch his subject directly made him more susceptible. Part of me tried to analyze the kaleidoscopic scene dispassionately. Felix and Alec stood opposite one another, discussing at their leisure how best to deal with Benjamin and me. Benjamin was upright, but slowly flailing his hands. He was unsure as to whether he was even moving at all. Neither Benjamin's flailing behavior nor my frozen state was a surprise to either Felix or Alec. Apparently both reactions were common. I decided to imitate Benjamin's senseless flailing while I considered how to use my vague awareness to our advantage.

Benjamin's only thought was to protect himself, hoping that Alec would come close enough to be incapacitated, but he was not optimistic. I shared his pessimism, but while Benjamin had a one in a billion shot, I put my chances at closer to one in a thousand. I had to surprise Alec; at this proximity, I needed Benjamin's help to fight Felix. I imagined I would have another moment of disorientation when I regained my senses. I wouldn't be able to outrun Felix, much less outrun him while carrying an incapacitated Benjamin. My one in a thousand shot meant Alec had to approach me first, and I would have to decapitate him. I presumed that the mist would disappear if Alec's effort to maintain it was halted. I could hear the effort he was putting forth.

"It should be easy enough to dismember them for travel," said Felix calmly. He was relishing the thought of taking me apart but was disappointed that Bella was not with us. I hoped fervently that she, Tia, and Sean were already headed back to Alexandria, but they were likely waiting for us. Apparently, there were no plans to kill either Benjamin or me. Aro wanted us both. Alec was quietly triumphant. Aro had wanted him to bring Benjamin, and now he had netted the grand prize as well. Only Alice or Bella would have made the journey more complete, and Alec doubted Bella could have been captured so easily.

Felix was calling his party to let them know he no longer required their services. I found myself hoping. With only two of them, this could work. I needed Alec closer. I watched myself flailing, impressed that both Benjamin and I maintained balance with no awareness.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Felix continued conversationally. He had made no move toward us, and I realized that only Alec could enter the mist; he was immune to his own power. Alec would definitely be the one to approach me. I had to make sure that he came for me before he disabled Benjamin.

"Wheels within wheels," Alec commented. "Master Caius sent you, and Master Aro sent me. We shouldn't concern ourselves with their motivations."

"How did you surprise the mindreader?" Felix wondered aloud. "It would be a useful skill."

"I thought about nothing," Alec told him. "Master Aro thinks it's related to my gift since it's how I feel when I'm projecting the antisensory field." Felix was annoyed that the skill might be beyond him, and he was also suspicious that Alec wasn't providing full disclosure. In fact, the level of Alec's mind focused on projecting the mist was difficult for me to hear. If he concentrated, he might successfully hide from me, although I couldn't be sure he had been hidden before since I had been concentrating on escaping from Felix.

Benjamin was flailing closer and closer to me, and if I avoided him purposely, it would have given away my awareness. I tried to randomly wander as Benjamin was, occasionally moving a fraction toward Benjamin, and then listing toward Alec. I was having trouble controlling my movements using Felix and Alec's combined and opposing perspectives. It was like trying to do a complex maneuver behind your back using only a mirror.

"I wish you'd let me," Felix told Alec with naked hunger. "I've dreamed of taking him apart for a long time now."

"Don't be a fool, Felix. Master Aro has warned you about him. He's fast, and he has the advantage of knowing your every move. He trained with the scarred one. I'm the only one who can do this." Alec decided then that he would take care of me first, just to demonstrate for Felix. He approached me, wary of my movements. I listed away from him, giving him an apparent opening. He didn't lunge as he should have in a true fight. His movements were slow and measured, and I took advantage as soon as he was within striking distance. My own movements were quick as I went for Alec's throat. My disorientation prevented me from getting a perfect hold, though, and Alec's head remained attached. Taken by surprise, he backed a fraction away, one hand coming up protectively toward his throat. He kept the mist in place, reflexively holding on to his usual defenses, which actually benefitted me, forcing Felix to stand by helplessly. In other circumstances, it would have been amusing to watch my own blank stare through Alec's eyes as I lunged again. My second attempt was successful.

The mist vanished, and I whirled immediately as Felix lunged for me. Alec's head thudded to the ground at my feet, and I was barely in time to evade Felix's attack. As it was, he ripped off my right sleeve, and we began an intricate dance of avoidance and attack. He was highly experienced, but he'd never fought anyone with my combination of gifts. The difference in strength between Felix and Emmett could have been measured with the edge of a razor. I knew if he caught hold of any part of me, I would not be able to prevent him from taking me apart. On the other hand, I could only fully engage him if I had a perfect opening, and Felix was well aware of this. He could swing and miss, but I would only have one chance. Our dance continued, me avoiding his repeated attacks while searching for the opening I needed. All my concentration was on the fight and the anticipation of Felix's next move, when Benjamin suddenly joined us, a flame dancing on the palm of his hand.

"Care for a little fire, son of a dog? Or shall I share this with your companion?" Benjamin taunted Felix. Benjamin blew on his palm, and the fire licked higher, pointing in Felix's direction, then jabbing at Alec's prone form.

"_Do it_!" I urged Benjamin, but Felix reacted too quickly. He disengaged and fled, grabbing Alec's body parts as he escaped. The penalty for losing Alec in this way would have been his own existence. "What…" I sputtered. "You could have destroyed Alec. Why?"

Benjamin's face fell, and I realized his worry had been for my safety. In truth, his worry wasn't entirely misplaced. "I wasn't sure you'd last long enough for me to destroy him. I thought I needed to help." Benjamin had been sheltered. This was his first true fight with another vampire, and he had acted without thinking. The opportunity may have been lost, but we still lived. I fought down disappointment.

"Thanks. Your help was welcome when it came, regardless. How did you get the fire on your hand?" I asked with curiosity as we made our way to the Nile, Benjamin erasing our trail as before.

"I spit on my hand. The venom makes a good fuel," he responded tonelessly. Benjamin's thoughts were full of self-recrimination about letting Alec escape and grief for Kebi. I left him to his rumination. I hoped we would be able to find the others quickly. I knew where they should have entered the Nile, but it might take time to find them, assuming they were safely hidden. I began to search for Sean's thoughts, hoping Bella would think to leave him unshielded. Benjamin and I dove into the water and swam north, in the direction of the delta and Alexandria. We were moving slowly, when I heard a whisper in Bella's beautiful voice. The knot which had been tightening in my stomach from the moment we had separated began to dissolve. I alerted Benjamin, and we followed the wisp of thought to Bella.

* * *

Sean, Tia, and I sat on the bottom of the Nile, directly beneath a moored boat. The water was murky, lowering our visibility beyond what the darkness already provided. We were a few miles from where Sean had left boats for our escape down the Nile, and a few miles from where we had abandoned the car. Tia and I held hands, both of us straining for any sign of our mates. It had already been an hour since our separation, and each passing minute added to our anxiety. What, other than an attack from the Volturi, could be keeping them from joining us? I was trying not to panic. What would we do if Benjamin or Edward or both were taken? Could I return home without Edward? If he were truly taken – and I had to remind myself they were unlikely to kill him – I couldn't imagine going home. I would go straight to Volterra. I couldn't live without him. Where was he? I felt Tia's hand gripping mine harder. All three of us were essentially motionless, not wanting to chance that we would be spotted even in such an unlikely spot.

Where was he?

Without thinking, I began to stretch mentally, trying to find a hint of Edward's passing. When I realized what I was doing, I felt rather than saw that a tendril of my shield had stretched impossibly far. It swept the bank of the river, passing farther than I had ever pushed my shield. The tendril was so fine I did not feel stressed as it swept the bank. I could feel it passing through multitudes of people – I must have been reaching the buildings near the river. None of the essences was Edward; I could always recognize his pulsing light under my shield.

I checked the integrity of the shield as a whole, and I could not find a break even though I had stretched one section so far. Could I thin it so far that it would breach? I continued the stretching search, deciding that I would sweep to the far bank. As the tendril passed through the river in front of me, I felt him. He was far away, but beyond that I could not determine anything else. I pulled back the inner layer of my shield and called to him. I wasn't sure if it would work since I wasn't technically surrounding him with the outer shield, but I kept passing the tendril through his essence and calling. Suddenly, he was moving toward me at high speed, and I knew he had found me. Relief flooded me, and I leaned into Tia to hug her. With any luck, we would be at home within a day.

**AN2: Up next is Josh's trip to Atlanta. (Does anyone remember Josh?)**

**The fic by crmcneill called Downward Spiral was inspired by The Cold War. It was originally a one-shot in the "Mentalward" contest, and it won the judge's choice award. Congratulations! crmcneill has been continuing the story, so check it out.**

**Thanks to everyone who nominated/voted for my stories at the Indie Twific awards. I didn't win anything, but The Cold War made it to the final round as "Best Action, Complete." The Cold War is a featured fic this week on MyVampFiction dot com! And it's the Roundtable Review this month (April 2010) at The Edge Girls, www dot theedgegirls dot blogspot dot com! Wow, how did this happen??**

**Edward "resisting" Alec's power: I was really impressed with myself when I came up with that plot device. It was actually the first scene I wrote of AoA, before posting any chapters. Since then, it has appeared in Downward Spiral and La Canzone della Bella Cigna by philadelphic. Another reader assured me that it was an obvious development (which made me feel not as special). In any case, I have talked with both of the other authors, and they didn't feel like I was plagiarizing them, which was a relief. The scenes are not at all similar.**


	8. Chapter 7: Smoother

**Disclaimer: Everything in the Twilight universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer. **

**AN: Thanks to all of you reading and reviewing! I really enjoy our conversations! **

**Once again, I must thank edward-bella-harry-ginny for her support, pre-reading, and beta-ing! And thanks to thedu for checking this over and adding clarity!**

_The course of true love never did run smooth;  
But either it was different in blood—  
…Or else misgraffèd in respect of years—  
__…__Or else it stood upon the choice of friends.  
_A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I, scene i. Shakespeare.

Ch. 7. Smoother

I was fidgety, and it wasn't a feeling to which I was accustomed. I rearranged a fold of my skirt. I flitted to the window, and watched the Boston traffic below me, the crimson tail lights, amber turn signals, and blue-white headlamps lighting up the steaming asphalt below in a dirty Technicolor parade. His apartment was still dark, the curtains drawn across one window, blinds down over another. I returned to the couch and flipped on the television. I checked email on my laptop. My editor wanted another week to review my latest work. That was fine; I had written most of it in the week I had spent getting to know Josh the first time. I didn't want to reread it or learn her reactions to it anytime soon. I went back to the television.

Kate appeared in the doorway of the living area. She was elegant as always in a Shantung silk sleeveless pantsuit in pale green. "What is going on, Tanya?" Her voice was layered with annoyance and worry.

"Nothing. I just checked my email." I crossed my legs nonchalantly and clicked a few times on the remote control. I ignored the way her eyes were boring holes into me.

"That's it. I've had enough. I've put up with your secretive behavior for too long. Admit now that you care for that boy, and I will at least refrain from humiliating you in front of the entire coven." Kate's look was determined.

"I don't know what you mean. We're just keeping tabs on him for Carlisle." I clicked to another channel. Surely she had no idea of the depths I had plumbed this summer. Apparently, I had traded in dignity for adolescent mooning back in June.

"If you think I don't know what you've been doing all summer, you've got another thing coming." Kate sat beside me on the couch, and plucked the remote from my hand, shutting off the television.

"What do you think I've been doing?" I doubted she really knew.

"Well, _Sasha_, I believe you took Freshman Comp from a certain Southern gentleman. You also spent a fair amount of time in his office hours. And at least once, you followed him to a bar." My mouth dropped open, a fraction. She knew everything.

"When did you…"

"The first week of school." Kate rolled her eyes. "We've been sisters for a thousand years, Tanya. Did you think you could hide your heart from me?"

"I wasn't sure I even had one," I whispered. Humiliation was nothing compared to this. I was losing control of myself, and surely also of my coven. My family.

"Oh, Tanya." Kate grabbed me in a hug, an unusual display for either of us. "Of course you do. You're just going to have to trust it, and follow it."

"He doesn't even remember me." It came out sounding more like a wail than I wanted. "And where is he? He hasn't come home in 24 hours."

"Garrett and Eleazar are looking. Relax. He's probably taking a vacation since he's on break now." Kate rubbed my back, and then let me go. "Sister. Do you think in twenty years I would forget how it felt to be alone? I know you. I know your heart. And I have seen you with him. This is a good thing."

"I don't even know who I am anymore," I confessed. "My focus is gone; the family, the coven was always first for me. We had our dalliances, certainly, but my priority was never in question."

"Tanya, a mate does not destroy who you are. I can't fully explain, but there is a richness to my existence now, an enhancement of what I was. Do you find me to be less with Garrett in my life?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course not."

"Exactly. The family will see you as no less when you are mated. Do you see Carlisle as less because he has Esme?"

"I get your point," I ground out. The lesson had gone on long enough.

"Good. Because I never want to have this discussion again. The family will rejoice with you when you finally make your decision. We love you, and nothing would please us more than to see you happy." Kate put one hand on my shoulder. "It's been too long, Tanya. I don't know why we had to wait so long, but the rewards have been sublime for me."

The phone rang, interrupting what could have been a very long soliloquy on the topic of Garrett's most attractive features. Thankfully, I was spared. I wondered if he knew how descriptive Kate could be when explaining his endowments.

"Hello, Carlisle," Kate spoke into the phone.

"We've had an incident here," Carlisle replied with gravity. "A visitor from Miami caused us some trouble, and we think our Italian friends encouraged him."

"Was anyone hurt?" I asked, knowing Carlisle would hear.

"Emmett's pride was injured, apparently, but no actual damage. By the way, we'll be moving as soon as we can choose a new location. We want you to be alert. Alice will be watching for any news for you."

"Thank you, Carlisle," Kate responded as they hung up.

"I guess the second shoe has fallen," I mused. How would this affect Josh? Would he be a target again? Where _was_ he? "Do you think we should check out his apartment? See if he left any clues?" Kate watched me with raised eyebrows for a moment.

"Actually, it couldn't hurt, could it? Do you still have that key Eleazar made?" We had made a copy after the hybrid had tried to kill Josh in the spring. It had seemed expedient at the time. I didn't tell Kate that I had been keeping the key in my pocket at all times for the past two and a half months.

"I think I can find it somewhere." I rushed back to my room and made a show of pulling one of the drawers.

"Maybe you should check your pocket," called Kate. I squeezed my eyes shut in mortification. The key and my marked papers were the only physical ties I had to Josh, and it had been nearly impossible to let them go. I heard Kate approaching my room. "Tanya, it's okay. Change is rare for us, but this is real and beautiful and right for you. Please let it happen, sister." She leaned on my doorframe, her arms crossed.

"I want it," I admitted aloud for the first time. "I love him. I can't stop it anymore. I feel so weak."

"Finally!" Kate declared with satisfaction. "Now let's go find your boy."

* * *

Every time I returned home, the first welcome I would receive was the blast of hot, moist air that hit the instant I reached the open door of the plane. The jet bridge to the concourse bounced slightly under my feet and sweat immediately prickled out through every pore on my upper body. Welcome home, Josh. Hotlanta awaits. I wondered, not for the first time, how anyone in the northeast ever believed they knew what heat or humidity was. As soon as I entered the concourse, the ridiculously cold air turned all the sweat into a cold dampness. Home indeed. I took the train to the terminal along with about 50 billion other sweaty, cranky travelers. The three-story escalator back to the terminal always made me think of an ascent from hell, but the terminal was hardly more pleasant than the train and the concourses. At least I didn't need to pick up baggage; I had shoved everything into my gym bag.

As I reached the peak of the escalator, I immediately saw Adrienne in the meet and greet area. I hurried past security and picked up the tiny woman. She barely reached my chest.

"I missed you," I told her as I hugged her tight.

"Set me down, you Teutonic giant," she laughed at me. "You're wrinkling my dress."

"Sorry," I apologized contritely. I set her down carefully and picked my bag up from where I'd dropped it.

"Do you have more bags?" she asked.

"No, this is it. Did Kimani come with you?" I imagined he hadn't come; it was only two in the afternoon.

"He's busy, of course. A lot of wheels to be wheelin' and deals to be dealin'. I don't know what made me think a politically-minded lawyer would make a good husband."

"It's that Morehouse Man charm," I told her.

"Arrogance, more likely," she answered, tossing her head. Adrienne was a Tuskegee graduate, and she enjoyed razzing Kimani whenever she could about his alma mater. She was leading me towards the short term parking at a brisk pace.

"He needs you, Auntie Adrienne. Just think of what he'd be like without you around to keep him honest."

She led me to a dark blue luxury Honda in the first row of the parking deck.

"Nice car," I commented, tossing my bag in the back seat.

"You know Kimani. He likes to show up at church in style." I snorted.

"Now, speaking of keeping people honest, how are you doing with the ladies?" Adrienne's eyes twinkled at me as she headed toward the exit.

"Please don't ask. It's been a rough year."

"A few of the young ladies at church have been asking about you. Didn't you do cotillion with Olivia Berg?" I groaned internally.

"Yes, but isn't she married now? And you know I'm not getting involved with a girl in Atlanta when I live in Boston. I don't plan to move back anytime soon. I'm waiting for an ex-stepmother to pass on." I noticed my accent was resurfacing. I didn't have a distinct regional accent, having been raised by a father from Boston and a mother from Georgia; but the drawl came out when I spoke with anyone remotely southern. Adrienne chuckled, but kept her eyes on the road. We were headed toward the 85/75 junction and into the heavy cross-town traffic. It would be a while before we got near their home.

"Do you know why Kimani wanted me to come home so badly?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I know he's agitated about it, but he hasn't shared with me. I think he considers the matter to be business with you, and therefore confidential." And there the matter rested.

I had stayed with Adrienne and Kimani from time to time when I was younger and Dad was out of town without me. They always kept a room with clothes and various items waiting for me, which was why I hadn't brought much with me on the plane. Once we arrived at their expansive home, I settled into my room. I pulled out my laptop to check email; Nan had sent me a note to let me know my grades had been filed and the semester seemed to be officially closed. The new teaching assignments wouldn't be ready for another week while she assimilated information about the incoming graduate students. I replied, and then wrote a brief email to my thesis advisor, Dr. Howeson, to let her know my location for the next few weeks.

It was, as they say, easier to apologize than to ask permission. We'd been at odds for a few months, and I thought it was probably a good idea to get some distance; it wasn't like anyone was paying me for my time over the next three weeks. Even in my head that didn't sound like a good excuse – the thesis project was my responsibility and didn't require pay for me to do it. I took a quick shower and changed into Atlanta-friendly clothes: khaki shorts and a white polo. I wandered downstairs to find Adrienne working in the study. She taught high school social studies, and the first day of school was coming up in a week.

"I'm having Kimani bring dinner from Pappadeaux's. Is that satisfactory?"

"Oh. Yes. Perfection. Is there anything I can do?"

"Just relax and enjoy the rest of your afternoon," Adrienne told me with a motherly smile. I wandered back out to the hallway, pausing to look at the obligatory wall of family photographs. A number were nearly historical; rare photographs from Adrienne or Kimani's family from the early twentieth century. Both of their families were from the south and had lived through Jim Crow and the Civil Rights movements; Kimani's grandfather had taken part in a number of peaceful demonstrations and marches. There was a picture of my uncle with Kimani along with a number of other young men from law school at Emory, and there were a few pictures from my parents' wedding. Kimani had stood in as "father of the bride" since by then my uncle was dead. I could feel the depression creeping up on me again, as well as the sense that I was the last of either family and completely isolated in the world. It was a stupid feeling, really; here I was welcome in the home of my surrogate family. My thoughts drifted to Sasha and the ruined plans for taking her out on a date. Yet, it didn't make sense to start anything with anybody until I knew what this trip was all about.

"Oh, Lucy! I'm home!" called Kimani through the door to the garage. He entered the kitchen at the same time as I did, dropping a set of blissfully aromatic-smelling bags on the counter. Kimani was a sturdy man, about five foot nine in height. He always dressed to the nines. It might have been a lawyer thing, but even on the golf course he was at the peak of fashion.

"Mmm." I headed towards the bags, the empty spot in my stomach making itself heard loud and clear.

"Now I know how I stand in your priority list," Kimani commented with amusement.

"Hey," I said sheepishly. We gave each other a brief man-hug, and then both bent over to sniff the food bags. "What did you get?"

"I don't know. Adrienne called the order in; I just picked up."

The three of us had an enjoyable dinner of Cajun seafood. I had an ice-cold beer, and Kimani and Adrienne had sweet tea. There was grease and spice and sweet shrimp and generally the best flavors one could imagine. When it was over, Kimani and I looked at each other with a sense of complete satiation, perhaps even tilting towards discomfort.

"I haven't eaten like that in Boston," I commented.

"Of course not. You have to be in the south. That's why we have the highest heart attack rates in the country. But we die happy, you know?" Kimani leaned back in his chair.

"That's so morbid, honey. Which reminds me, I made an appointment for you with Dr. Wilhoit for next Thursday," Adrienne said as she began to clean up the table.

"Let me get that," I told her half-heartedly. I really didn't feel like moving yet.

"Nonsense. Tonight you're still a guest. Chores tomorrow." Adrienne took my plate and carried it away.

"We need to talk," Kimani said, standing reluctantly. "Let's go to the study." I swallowed uncomfortably and followed him. Kimani sat at his desk and I pulled up a chair. I fiddled with its position for a bit before realizing I was putting off the discussion. I sat and tried to relax into the leather seat. "There's so much to say, I'm not sure where to begin. Some of it is good news, and to be honest, that in itself makes me concerned. First, Sylvia dropped all legal actions regarding your trusts. It was a smart move by her lawyer, in any case. Secondly, she allowed the restraining order against you to expire."

"What?" This was unexpected. And, like Kimani, I couldn't take the action at face value, not after all I'd been put through with Syl—with _her_.

"Thirdly, I hired a private detective to do investigate her more thoroughly. He's turned up some interesting things."

"Like what?" I felt the old nausea creeping back in; Sylvia was literally the last person on earth I wanted to think about in depth. Kimani pulled out a manila file folder and opened it.

"Sylvia Elaine Jackson was orphaned at the age of two, along with her older sister Margaret Elizabeth, also known as Peggy. Peggy was eight years older. The two of them were taken in as foster children and later adopted by the county coroner in Port St. Mark, Florida. When Peggy was eighteen, there was a terrible car accident and she died at the scene. Apparently Sylvia underwent a mental breakdown and had to be homeschooled afterwards. There are no public records of her until she went to college at eighteen. A month after she entered college, her adopted parents died in a house fire."

"This is beginning to sound ominous," I said. Death was following her. Her parents, her sister, her adoptive parents, my dad. "Either she is really unlucky," I began.

"Or she's some sort of black widow. I know." Kimani looked at me over his reading glasses. He could be a clown, especially with Adrienne, but at the moment he was the consummate professional and benevolent uncle. "There is nothing here to suggest she killed anyone, but the pattern makes me all the more suspicious about your father."

"Dad died from colon cancer. She could hardly have poisoned him into that," I pointed out.

"I'm not done with the file yet. So, after college she married one Robert Elliott Deeb, of the Jacksonville Deeb dynasty. He was in his late sixties and she was a church secretary. He died of a heart attack about two years later, leaving her with half his fortune. His four children from his first wife unsuccessfully contested the will. Apparently she burned through an unbelievable amount of money in the four years after Deeb's death. A lot of her time was spent in the Mediterranean, so it is difficult to know exactly where the money went, but an expensive hotel can take a thousand a night. In any case, she arrived in Atlanta about six months before meeting your father." Kimani paused and evaluated how absorbed I was with the information. "We know she dated several men during this time period, all of whom were patients of one Dr. David Carter."

"That's my Dad's doctor."

"Correct. Dr. David Carter took an extended vacation after divorcing his first wife about two years ago. Would you care to guess where he spent that vacation?"

"I assume the Mediterranean."

"Yes." We sat in silence, Kimani observing me, me with my mouth slightly agape with shock. I shut my mouth before he had the opportunity to spout a homespun comment about catching flies.

"Are you saying that Dr. Carter fixed it so my dad would die?" I felt ill, a clammy feel on my skin to accompany the nausea in my gut. I glanced around to locate the garbage can, just in case. The bathroom was a pretty good haul to the other side of the house. I knew the rug in here was an antique.

"No. But the possibility exists, Josh," Kimani answered with gravity. He paused for a moment before relaunching our old argument. "This is just another reason for you to consider contesting the will. I can't guarantee that there is evidence of wrong-doing on his part or on Sylvia's, but the reasons to contest a will include fraud, incompetency, or undue influence. Any one of these or all of these could be true in this case. Do not let this woman cheat you out of what is rightfully yours, what your father would have wanted you to have." His words carried new weight. When Sylvia was just a conniving witch, I could let it go. Now, I wasn't so sure.

"Let me think about it. I can't decide right now," I said finally. Kimani let out a long breath, and the faint hint of a smile touched his face.

"She approached me recently and asked me to meet her for lunch. I declined, obviously. The point is, I don't know what she's planning, but I don't think it's for your benefit."

"Lord. I can't think about all this right now." My brain was feeling a little fuzzy, whether from the giant meal, the beer, or the unbelievable stories Kimani had shared, I didn't know. I just wanted to sleep.

"It's been a long day. Why don't you head up to bed. We've got a few days to waste; I'm taking you golfing tomorrow." Kimani's face lit up with an evil grin.

"Oh, no. On my first day back? I haven't recovered from the last humiliation. You know golf isn't my game." I was pretty sure I was invited to golf so that Kimani and his friends could laugh about me for the next several weeks.

"I'm certainly not planning to challenge you to basketball any time soon," he gibed. "It was a sad moment when you grew taller than me."

"You mean when I was thirteen?" I stood and we both left the study, laughing. My equilibrium was returned, to some extent.

The next several days were the calm before the storm, I was sure. I went golfing, to my great distress. Adrienne dragged me to the hair salon for a trim (it had been a while, I had to admit). I spent several hours a day poolside in their backyard, ostensibly reading for my thesis project, but actually studying the tiny capillaries behind my eyelids as they lit up in the bright sun. I went to the country club to run on the treadmill (it was as hot as Atlanta in August – wait, it _was_ Atlanta in August – and my northern blood wasn't ready for that).

On Friday morning, I realized I was out of clothes because everything I'd left at the Ellis's was faded, stained, or a little on the small side. Was I getting pudgy? I stood in front of the bathroom mirror for several minutes, trying to assess whether my four-pack was on its way to six-edness or on its way back to a duo. I determined I looked much better from the front than I did from the side, but my backside was definitely looking the best. I convinced myself that I'd just grown an inch or two since the last time I'd stocked up on clothes. I put on a pair of navy blue dockers shorts that had seen better days and a pale blue polo. I was going to have to shop. I pouted a little. Shopping and the mall were fairly low on my list of enjoyable activities, which was probably why my clothes were wearing out. I knew that online shopping was an option, but on the rare occasion when I had tried that, I had become frustrated by sizing and matching colors. I usually had to send the items back.

I headed downstairs for breakfast, and found a note from Adrienne. Both she and Kimani were at work for the entire day, but they had carpooled and left me the Honda. I decided I would spend the entire day out. I grabbed my wallet and found the keys on the table by the kitchen door to the garage. Starbuck's, the mall, maybe a downtown restaurant for lunch, heck, I could even pop into the Aquarium. Surely it wouldn't be that bad to sandwich the mall in between food and fun? I started the car and hit the garage door remote. I'd loved the aquarium growing up. But which mall? I was used to shopping at Lennox Square, but it would bring me a little too close to a certain woman I hoped never to see again. The Cumberland was the closest. I sighed as I pointed the car in the right direction, trying not to be depressed about another facet of my life twisted by her influence. Hey, the mall was the mall, right? I probably wouldn't even be able to tell what state I was in.

I pulled into the first Starbuck's I passed and sat alone at a café table with a coffee and a blueberry scone. I took turns watching the endless queue of patrons or reading headlines on my phone. It had only been a few days since I had left for this "vacation," but I was already losing touch with the outside world. I got a few smiles from various female customers, which brought to mind the one topic I had been avoiding thinking about. Sasha. I had been on the verge of asking her for a date when I had gotten Kimani's call to come back to Atlanta, and I'd headed out on a flight the next day. I considered calling her anyway, but what would I say? I couldn't ask her to wait for me when we'd never even been out on a date. Maybe Nan was wrong and Sasha was just a very attentive student. A little voice pointed out that cell phones work just fine over long distance, and there was no harm in calling right now, but it didn't feel right. I felt like something big was about to happen to me, and I was hesitant to start something when I didn't understand my own life. And what if she really wasn't interested? I wasn't sure when I'd become so spooked by rejection, but it seemed easier to avoid the entire situation than to be shot down.

Thoroughly caffeinated and depressed, I headed out to the mall. I was now in the perfect mood to shop. As I sat at a stoplight, I pounded my head on the steering wheel.

After the hell that was parking, I made my way into the gigantic, air-conditioned torture chamber. At the first department store (thoroughly commando-spritzed by a female employee wielding a cologne bottle), I determined there was nothing I was willing to wear in public. By the time I'd reached the third anchor store, I concluded my crappy mood was affecting me more than I wanted to admit. I hadn't purchased a single item. I headed to the food court and bought a gigantic chocolate chip cookie and another coffee. I sat at a grungy table on a slightly sticky plastic chair and took a sip of the coffee. It wasn't bad for generic coffee. I needed to get it together. This was just dragging out my mall-going experience.

Suddenly, my ears caught a sound that caused my stomach to turn backflips: a female voice, speaking in Russian. Of course, I could recognize no words, but the impassioned tone was conveying worry bordering on panic. As I turned in my chair, the uppermost thought in my head was _please_. _Please let it be her_. And, for the first time I could remember in ages, I was granted a wish. Three tables away, her profile to me, was Sasha Doletskaya. She was leaning on one hand, talking more quietly now into a cell phone. I had to do it; the granted wish seemed like a sign, a message from the universe that I had another chance. I picked up my coffee and cookie, and headed to her table.

I could see Sasha was upset, and I hoped that it wasn't anything serious. "Sasha?" Her green eyes came up from the table and looked into mine. I always remembered she was beautiful, but every time I saw her, I was thunderstruck again. My memories could never do the reality justice. Her mouth fell open, and she dropped her phone.

"Josh?" Her face lit up in the loveliest smile I had ever seen.

**AN2: ebhg and I are putting ourselves up for auction, so to speak. The next Fandom Gives Back auction will be June 23-July 7, 2010, and we're auctioning a one-shot (min 5000 words, T-rated) in the Masen and Swan series. The website for that auction hasn't been launched yet, so more on that later!**

**I made a blog, gleena34 dot blogspot dot com, primarily for the Soldier X minutiae, but there is a page on The Cold War Universe with the banners and so forth. I would put more there, but I'm not sure what anyone would want to see. I also got a twitter account (gleena34), heaven help me. I find it rather mysterious, but I'm trying to post when anything momentous occurs (like me actually typing on a chapter). The Cold War got recc'ed at myvampfiction dot com – I put a link my profile. They interviewed me as well?**


	9. Chapter 8: Defend

**AN: Thanks readers, some of whom pushed me to finish this. I don't know why the words didn't flow, but they didn't for a bit. I tried to make up for it with SX updates. I want to call out carrollfamily02, bells just bells and noble korhedron for their gently pushy ways. :) There's probably more of you who made hints here and there, and I appreciate all of you.**

**Edward-bella-harry-ginny and thedu helped with words and suggestions, even though they are both in the midst of big stuff in real life. Thanks to you both, for so many things.**

**RECAP: A little history of Josh and Tanya: in TCW, Josh and Tanya spent six days together in Wolfeboro while the Cullens struggled with Randall, Sarah, and the Volturi. She was brought in to protect him, but quickly became enamored of the young human as he was of her. Unfortunately, a thousand years of bachelorette-hood wasn't easy to dismiss, and Tanya rejected him. Josh suffered one of his bouts of selective amnesia, choosing to forget everything related to vampires and werewolves. Tanya enrolled in his English 101 course as the Russian exchange student Sasha, and conducted a slow seduction of words and glances. Once the summer session ended, Josh was ready to make his move but was called down to Atlanta by his "uncle" Kimani Ellis to discuss serious issues about his stepmother Sylvia. Tanya has chosen to follow him, and he has caught sight of her while out shopping at the mall.**

_I could see Sasha was upset, and I hoped that it wasn't anything serious. "Sasha?" Her green eyes came up from the table and looked into mine. I always remembered she was beautiful, but every time I saw her, I was thunderstruck again. My memories could never do the reality justice. Her mouth fell open, and she dropped her phone._

"_Josh?" Her face lit up in the loveliest smile I had ever seen._

_The venom clamours of a jealous woman  
Poisons more deadly than a mad dog's tooth.  
_A Comedy of Errors, Act V scene i. Shakespeare.

Chap. 8. Defend

Josh stood at the table holding a cup and a wax paper bag, his face lit up with what I guessed to be joy and relief. _He does miss me._ The thought warmed me. Even though I had followed him discreetly for the last two hours, I had to check each of his features from chin to eyebrows, remembering them and the way expressions would cross his face. "What are you doing here?" I asked disingenuously.

"I'm here visiting family, uh, family friends," he answered, the smile lingering on his face. "May I join you, Miss Doletskaya?"

"Of course, Mr. Clemson. Please have a chair." He chose to sit next to me rather than across, and this too raised my confidence.

"I was about to eat a cookie to raise my spirits about clothes shopping. Would you care to share?" he asked, opening the waxed paper bag. The brown, dry food item was less repulsive than, say, cheese, but it was still highly unpleasant.

"No, thank you. I don't find such things tempting," I answered, placing one hand lightly on his forearm, about two inches above the wrist. I kept my eyes strictly on his as I touched him. An odd, muted shiver ran through his entire body which was echoed by one in my own. It had been too long since I'd touched him; it was something I hadn't allowed myself while I was his student. I had noticed from the first few days of classes that he avoided touching me at all costs, and I had done my best to observe his boundaries. Now that we were freed of that relationship, all bets were off. I wanted to tell myself that touching him and using provocative words were all part of my game, but I knew that it wasn't true. I was drawn to him by something beyond myself, and I was only barely in control of my actions.

"Can I get you something else?" asked Josh. I could tell he was affected as well; his heart rate and respiration had risen slightly and his pupils had dilated.

"No, I don't need anything," I answered, as I broke off a corner of his cookie. I raised it to his lips, and his mouth opened to eat it, his gaze still locked with my own. I could feel the softness of his lower lip with the tip of my finger, and then the soft caress of his tongue as it darted out to catch a crumb. Was I seducing him, or was he seducing me? His expression changed to one of almost possessive hunger, and I felt sure that I could see the vampire he could one day become. My own breath hitched.

"Sister, this is hardly appropriate, even for you. Remember the cover story; I'm approaching your table now." Kate's voice at vampire pitch interrupted the moment, and I didn't think I'd ever disliked Kate as much as I did in that moment. I resisted the instinctive need to defend, to protect…not my kill, not my prey, my mate? I pulled back from Josh with a combination of reluctance and panic.

"Sasha." Josh's voice was pitched lower than usual, in volume only a murmur. It wasn't a question. I needed to know what he was going to tell me; his eyes were trying to convey a message. We were both leaning forward, closer, closer….

"Hello, I'm Katrina, Sasha's older sister, and who are you?" announced Kate loudly with a hint less of an accent than I was using. I glanced at her in disgust, noting she had put in the contacts. She was in jeans with a flirty but classy top. We had decided she was an engineering student at Georgia Tech, and we had secured a small apartment not far from the campus. The traffic was very unpleasant, we had discovered.

I turned back to Josh, who was clearly surprised and I thought disappointed, but his face became open and welcoming as he stood. "I'm Joshua Clemson. I know Sasha from school. Very pleased to meet you, Katrina." He extended a hand, which Kate shook lightly as I panicked that she would shock him, however lightly. I suppressed the growl which was brewing in my chest. I was not at all used to feeling protective about my men. Kate and I had shared on more than one occasion. This would not be one of them.

"So you are from Boston?" Kate asked, sitting across from me (and therefore next to Josh). She was grinning widely, recognizing my body language, I was sure.

"Yes, well, I'm from here. I go to school in Boston. Why are you all here in Atlanta?" I noticed Josh had slurred his "you all" into a more southern sound. I hadn't heard him talk that way before. In fact, he was speaking more slowly and slightly lower in pitch than I was used to. Interesting.

"I am in school in electrical engineering at Georgia Tech, and Sasha has come to visit for our holiday," Kate answered.

"Perhaps I can help you around the city," Josh offered. His eyes slid to mine, an encouraging look on his face.

"Oh, we couldn't take your time," Kate responded quickly. What? The whole point was to spend time with him?

"I can make a deal with you," he cajoled. "If you help me select some new clothes here, I can pay you back by taking you to see some of the nicer attractions in the city. I hate shopping. I need help." Josh's eyes broke from Kate. I realized he'd barely looked anywhere but at my face. He took this moment to rake his eyes down my body, examining my outfit. "You look like you know what you're doing with clothes." It had pained me to dress down all summer, but I was supposed to be a poor college exchange student. Still, I had standards.

"_Should I join you two, sister_?" asked Kate at vampire speed. I was certain she was joking. Fairly certain.

"_Stay and plan to be armless for the rest of this century_," I hissed back while maintaining my smile at Josh. I felt sorry for Garrett, but he would cope with an armless mate.

"_Like you could take me_," Kate shot back. She then smiled apologetically at us both, and spoke normally. "I have to be in the laboratory for the afternoon, but I can return to get Sasha at seven this evening. Where can I meet you then?"

"I can take her home, it's really no trouble," Josh answered. "Here's my number." He handed his phone to Kate, presumably to assure her that he wasn't a homicidal maniac. Kate entered his number in her phone and wisely took her leave of us.

"Where were we?" asked Josh with a smile.

"Before we were so rudely interrupted?" I added.

"I didn't find your sister rude, but I'm afraid I prefer your company. If you don't want to shop with me, that would be fine. I do need clothes, but it was really an excuse to spend more time with you," he told me sincerely. "We can do anything you like."

"I would be pleased to help you find new clothes," I told him. I took him to the best of the anchors in the mall, and immediately chose four pairs of shorts, two pairs of pants, and a variety of summer-weight shirts. He was pleasantly surprised by my choices, and modeled for me. He was clowning a little, doing runway walks for me and twirling in each outfit. He had me giggling. Me! Unfortunately, the sales associate was also watching him with ill-contained interest. Josh ended up buying everything I'd selected and approved, much to my surprise.

"How do you pay for all this as a teaching assistant?" I asked.

"I have some money my parents left for me," he answered, somewhat curtly. He swallowed and turned to me. "I didn't mean to snap. I haven't told you much about myself, about the things I've gone through in the past two years. I will tell you soon, but not today, okay? I've waited too long to spend time with you like this." Josh stroked my shoulder with one hand. "I don't want anything to ruin our day together."

I was mesmerized by the sincerity Josh radiated when he spoke to me. Had it always been this way? Or did he actually like Sasha more than he liked Tanya?

"I can wait to hear about it," I told him. "It means we will see each other again, true?"

"Oh, very true," he agreed. "Now, I think I will need one more formal outfit. I can no longer wear the blazers in my closet. Most of them are from high school, and I'm a little bulkier." He pushed out his chest and postured for me, earning another giggle.

We wandered into the men's suits area, and Josh started to pull different colors off the rack – grey, blue, pinstripe, and black. I squinted at him, trying to imagine the best choice of color for him. In the end, we selected a very dark grey suit with a vest. The sales associate checked the fit, took a few measurements, and arranged for Josh to pick up the altered suit in three days.

"I can't shop for another minute," Josh told me. "I think the fluorescent lights are starting to hypnotize me." He stuck his hands out in front of him like a zombie and crossed his eyes. "No. More. Mall. No. More. Mall."

"We don't have to stay," I told him, lightly tapping his shoulder. I didn't want to knock him over by smacking him. "Where would we go, or do you want to take me home now?"

"Oh, no, I'm not taking you home. You're my hostage for the afternoon." His grin was blazingly brilliant, crinkling his eyes, making these adorable creases in his cheeks. He looked young and happy and _in love_. I knew the look because I had seen it on Josh's face before, but this time it wasn't for me, not really. I had to hope he would remember me one day, and that whatever he felt for Sasha would transfer back to me. He hooked his free arm in mine (he was carrying a fairly large bag of purchases) and led me toward an exit. At some point, we crossed Kate's path. She must have parked near Josh after dropping me off earlier. We were nearly at the glass bank of doors when I detected a second scent trail crossing Kate's and then following her trail out of the building. The scent was no one I had ever met before.

"Let me call my sister and let her know we're leaving the mall," I said, stopping Josh. I turned as I reached into my purse, trying to surreptitiously survey everyone around us. The scent trail seemed old, and it appeared to follow Kate. Pick up! Please pick up.

"Sasha?" Kate had answered.

"Katrina. _Another vampire followed you out of the mall._ I'm leaving the mall now with Josh," I told her, slipping high speed phrases in between the conversation Josh could hear. I was torn between my need to protect my family and the need to protect Josh.

"_Only one vampire?_ I'm with Garrett, and Carmen and Eleazar will be here in just a moment. _What are you going to do with your boy_?" What indeed? How do I protect him alone? And if I took Carmen and Eleazar away from Garrett and Kate, would they be able to adequately protect themselves?

I put the phone to my chest. "Where are we going next?" I asked Josh.

"Hmm? Oh, I thought maybe the aquarium downtown? It was always one of my favorite places to visit." He looked adorably bashful. I could work with the aquarium.

"Josh says the aquarium," I told Kate. "_Call Alice, and have Carmen and Eleazar go straight to the aquarium. I don't want anyone following them._" If Alice saw something dire, I could send Josh home alone and we could regroup. Would Josh be safer away from us or with us?

"_Will do_. I'll call you later. Enjoy your outing." Kate hung up. Suddenly I felt exposed. My family was spread all over the city, and Josh was inadequately protected. I wanted Kate and Garrett near Josh; they were the best fighters of us, but if Kate had been followed, it wasn't safe for her to circle back to us. Of course, if Demetri and a hybrid were involved, it didn't matter where any of us were.

"Are you ready?" asked Josh.

"Yes." I smiled. I tried to keep a positive attitude while staying hyper-vigilant of our surroundings.

The aquarium was lovely, although it was difficult to concentrate on the exhibits while keeping watch in every direction. There were so many people swirling about us. We had only been in the aquarium a short time when I caught a glimpse of Eleazar. I was relieved that there were now three of us to watch Josh, but it was imperative that we all _watch_. I did my best to maintain conversation with Josh as we wandered the exhibit halls, but I was concerned that he noticed my distraction.

I could tell Josh had an agenda as we wandered. He ignored some tanks and gave others only a cursory examination. Other displays demanded long perusal; a stream of visitors parted around his still figure and rejoined on the other side like water flowing around a rock in a stream. After these long pauses, he would explain something he found fascinating about the fish or other creature – there was a Japanese crab he liked for its alienness and an African cichlid he liked for its humanness. I ascertained we had reached one of his major destinations when he pulled me onto a bench near the whale tank.

"This was one of my favorites when I was a kid." Josh, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, chin in hands, watched raptly as the beluga whales circled their enclosure. I was relieved that the large mammals seemed unthreatened or unaware of my presence. Eleazar nodded to me from a strategic position to let me know he had an eye on the situation, and I relaxed, marginally. "I had planned to spend the morning shopping and my afternoon here, but as you saw, the shopping nearly did me in." Josh sat up and put one hand on my shoulder, giving me a contented smile. "You've made this day for me." I was speechless for a moment.

"Thank you for inviting me," was the best I could muster.

Finally, we entered the huge ocean exhibit. The sheer feat of engineering was amazing. We sat in the back row of the darkened amphitheatre to admire the display window and the undulating movements of the aquatic life, and Josh leaned in to talk to me. Our faces were very close, and his scent, tones of pine and male animal, was filling me. I wasn't tempted to feed, exactly, but I wanted to indulge in the flavors. I knew from experience that the perspiration on the skin of his neck was decadent. Of course, I could see everything in the lowered light, but I wondered how much Josh could see.

"Are you enjoying the afternoon?" he asked, some anxiety coloring his tone. He had noticed my distraction, and now he thought I was bored with his company. He gently took one of my hands in his. His warmth travelled all the way up my arm, but simultaneously caused a shiver to run down my back.

"There's nowhere I would have preferred to be than with you," I answered, completely truthfully. A beatific smile spread across his face.

"That's true for me as well. I had a hard time this summer staying away from you. I think I fell for you on the first day of class. The moment I saw you, I don't know what it was. It was like I'd been waiting for you." His words cut straight to my heart. Even though he didn't remember me, part of him recognized me, and I wanted to cry and rejoice and hug him all at the same time. My eyes started to sting with the unshed venom tears, and then I felt it happen. The contacts disintegrated at a moment when Josh was staring straight into my eyes.

"What's happening? Sasha, your eyes," Josh said, a crease appearing between his eyes. Abruptly, his face contorted with pain as he clutched his temples. "Aah!" He grunted in pain, squeezing his eyes shut, and when they opened once again, his face was filled with surprise and recognition. "Tanya?" My name was infused with emotion, a mixture of hope and relief and love, and a corresponding hope welled up in me. If he could say my name with that tone of voice, I felt confident we could be fixed. He still cared and could forgive. But before I could respond, he groaned again, and his body went slack against me.

Carmen was at my side in a matter of moments. "What happened?" she asked.

"My contacts dissolved, and he remembered. He remembers _me_." I cradled his unconscious form.

"Tanya, this isn't right. Remember, Edward and Carlisle thought it was potentially dangerous for him to be forced to remember. Put in your contacts, quickly. I'll hold him," she said quietly. In the low light, we hadn't yet been noticed by the other visitors.

"But, what if this helps him?" I hissed. "He has to remember eventually." He had to.

"It doesn't look like it's helping anything," responded Carmen. "You can always take them out later when we're not in public like this. You should have Jasper or Edward or Carlisle nearby if you're going to try this." I realized she was being reasonable, even if I felt like I was simultaneously deceiving Josh and ripping my own heart out. I slipped in a new pair quickly.

"I think he's coming around," Carmen said softly. She slipped away into the darkness.

"Mmm," Josh murmured. His head was resting on my shoulder, and he slowly stirred and sat up. "What happened?" A surge of disappointment filled me, and I struggled to maintain control of myself.

"I don't know. You passed out, I think, but just for a moment." He looked a little dazed in the soft blue light from the display window.

"I think I need to eat," he said apologetically. "My head hurts a little. I'm sorry, Sasha." I heard Carmen murmuring a faint apology from behind me. The one brief flash of hope that Josh and I were back to how we'd been was now gone. The excitement I had felt when he called my name made me realize that this substitute relationship where he didn't recognize me, didn't remember me, was not enough. I wanted him to know me.

"We can go to the food court," I told him. I would be Sasha for him, for now. It was the only way to keep him safe. We both stood, and I noticed Josh swayed a bit at first, but recovered quickly. As we wandered out of the exhibit, my phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, I discovered a welcome text from Alice.

_Safe for now._

I saw Eleazar in the lobby area as we left the exhibit for the food area. "_Should we join Kate and Garrett, then_?" he asked, presumably having received the same text. I gave him a nod. There had been no sign of a vampire near us since that trace of scent at the mall, and now that I knew Alice was watching, I felt better about the situation.

Josh and I wandered slowly through the food court as he looked over the choices. He was quieter than he had been at the mall, but seemed steady on his feet now. He settled for soup and I chose a salad. Many years of dating and seducing human men had taught me that lettuce was relatively benign. You could imagine that you'd accidentally gotten a mouthful of grass or hay, which had happened to me on an occasion or two. That thought led to others which were much naughtier; I had some very nice memories of a hot tub in Wolfeboro. I wondered if Josh and I would ever return to that level of intimacy. I watched him carefully as we went through the slow-moving checkout line. Other than being more subdued, he seemed to be fully recovered. His heartbeat was as strong as ever, and I let its rhythm comfort me.

We found a table in the middle of the dining area. Although we were surrounded by masses of people, the buzzing of random conversations masked our discussion. We were effectively alone.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked as I picked at a limp green leaf. Josh swallowed a mouthful of his soup before he responded.

"The only thing really hurt is my pride. I don't usually black out when I'm on a date." The rueful smile he gave me made butterflies buffet my useless stomach. I had never met anyone so sincerely vulnerable and open and yet fully confident in himself. With less surety, his openness would have seemed like earnestness or desperation. Instead, he had consistently taken the lead in our relationship, except when I had ruthlessly turned him away. He had chosen to share his feelings with me at every point where he felt free to do so. Perhaps that was what had frightened me the most; his candor was nothing like the games of seduction I had played with less secure men. There was no machismo cloak concealing who he was, no mask of indifference. Josh had decided that he wanted to be with me, and he had put everything on the line. I wondered if that willingness to expose his feelings was why he made himself forget the pain or if forgetting the pain allowed him to continue to be open. I was reminded that his current bout of amnesia was completely my fault.

"Do you want to take me home after we leave from here?"

"No." Josh's blue gaze was steady and intense. He reached across the table and put his hand over mine. "Leaving you is the last thing I want to do right now. What I want is to get changed and take you out for the evening, but to do that, I need to take you where I'm staying. You would have to meet my aunt and uncle, and you might find that overwhelming."

"Do you want me to meet them?"

"Definitely."

"Then I would be very pleased to meet your aunt and uncle." I couldn't help the smile I gave him. I felt like the nineteen-year-old I was pretending to be. "Do you want me to change clothing as well?" I had no idea what Josh had in mind for a date. I also had no desire to go "home" since that would potentially expose him to the strange vampires. I needed to know more before I could rejoin my family.

"You look delectable as you are," he answered. "Are you ready to go?" When I nodded, he stood and took my hand to lead me. As we stepped out into the moist heat, I noted with relief that thunderstorms were rolling in. The sky was almost black towards the southwest. Josh sighed.

"Is there a problem?"

"Not exactly. We'll probably be stuck in traffic during the coming downpour."

"Perhaps it will cool the air?" I noticed that my cool skin combined with the humid air was causing a condensation issue. My clothes were going to get wet.

"Ah, no. Rain in August just raises the humidity." He gave me a wide grin that made his eyes crinkle and that crease appear in his cheeks. He was absolutely stunning when he smiled. I found myself responding with a smile, and he reached for my hand as we walked. And then it hit me. I was heading to my first "meet the parents" of my very long existence.

My brain began to go wild with thoughts. One stream of thought relived the early part of my relationship with Josh, particularly the parts where I had rejected him. I rehashed my own feelings from that time, trying to understand my own mind and emotions. Josh represented a change that was much more than moving from a single lifestyle to a mated lifestyle. He was human; he was young; he was a product of a time so different from my own that occasionally I suffered vertigo when I thought about it. To take him from what he knew and pull him into my life – it felt like stealing or destruction. To include him in my life – it felt like change and weakness. The beautiful six days we had spent together were enough for Josh to choose me above all else in his life, but it was too much for me too fast.

Another stream of thought dwelled on the emptiness when he and I were separated in April and May. I had fought the pull to be with him in any way I could, finally succumbing to the subterfuge of Sasha. I remembered the relief when I touched him on the first day of class, and the joy when I saw how it affected him. I couldn't admit it then, but I was his as much as he was mine. Neither of us could let go, despite his inability to consciously remember our time together. To be away from him now would be agony.

A third stream wondered what it was about Josh in particular. True, he was handsome and well-educated, but no more so than many others I had seduced and left without a backward glance. There was something about his solicitous manners, his almost courtly behavior. The way the world had changed into one in which incivility and even vulgarity were the norms had been difficult for me and, honestly, for most in my coven and among the Cullens. Emmett was fine with it, but he was youngest save for Bella. Not to mention the old saying "raised in a barn" probably applied to him. Josh had the manners of another time, but although that contributed to his draw for me, it wasn't the entire story. I think it was his commitment. Maybe that was the wrong word? His singularity of purpose? Even men I had seduced, ones literally hypnotized by my vampiric nature, were distractible by selfish need and the minutiae of their lives. When Josh spoke to me, when he had been with me (before, in Wolfeboro), it was as if in that moment nothing else existed for him. When we were together, I was his only concern. It was intoxicating.

No man before had triggered my urge to defend a mate. (I'd defended a few as prey, but that had felt different.) It was worrisome; if Kate's humorous teasing could cause such a reaction, I didn't know if I could retain reason if a more serious threat arose.

I also worried about the unknown vampire who had followed Kate's scent. Atlanta should have been free of danger; since the purge in the late nineties by the Volturi, it was said that no one wanted to retake the city. Clearly, whoever was saying Atlanta was a vampire ghost town had gotten something wrong. My coven was fully capable of taking on the odd nomad or group of nomads, but some of the southern cities had, if not armies, then certainly militia. This concern went around and around in my head, weaving through my memories of and worries about Josh. The Cullens would support us, I had no doubt. I hoped Garrett wouldn't try anything foolish before we could discuss our options. I hoped Alice was talking in more detail with Kate. "Safe for now"? I know explicit discussion via texting was unwise, but she could have at least given me a bit more information for my own peace of mind.

A small part of my mind was cognizant of my surroundings. We had been in very slow-moving interstate traffic hearing nothing but car horns, swishing wipers, rumbles of thunder, and pounding raindrops for nearly twenty minutes when Josh broke the awkward silence. "If this is making you too uncomfortable, you'll have to let me know. With your words. I've read your essays and I know you can be eloquent when you choose. Otherwise, I'm going to take your previous agreement to meet my aunt and uncle at face value." Again with the honesty – he was sincere and disarming.

"What if they don't like me?" I asked. Why did I care? I could imagine Kate snickering at me. Wench. It's not like Garrett had family for her to meet. The truth was that I did care. I wanted to meet people who understood Josh and his life. I wanted to hear what they said about him. I wanted to see him interacting with people he cared about – he was isolated in New Hampshire and in Boston. I wanted him to share me with people he cared about.

"I can't guarantee someone else's opinions, but I think my Aunt Adrienne may die from happiness if I bring you home. She's getting worried that I'll never settle down." His mouth curved into a small smile. I wondered what he was thinking. "They're not really my aunt and uncle, but I grew up calling them that. Uncle Kimani is not really judgmental. I don't know how to explain it, but he has a gift of being able to find common ground with anyone. Some of that is the politician in him, but maybe he makes a good politician because he assesses people and approaches them where they are." Josh scratched his head. "This will make more sense if you meet them."

The house we pulled up to after nearly an hour of driving through traffic was neither modest nor mansion; it was an elegant two-story affair in a comfortable suburban neighborhood.

"Are you all right?" asked Josh, concern on his face.

"I have some nerves," I admitted.

"I promise; they will love you. Come on." Josh urged me out of the car, and I followed. He gave me his beautiful smile, as he opened the front door. I hesitated for a moment on the doorstep – maybe a similar situation had given rise to the myth about vampires needing permission to enter a home?

"Josh? Are you home?"

"Yes, Adrienne. And I've brought a guest with me." I'd heard the phrase "bursting with pride" before, but I'd never witnessed it. He was adorable. A petite woman with mocha skin and a smart skirt and top came out into the formal living area. If I hadn't known they weren't related, I would have thought the smile was genetic. "Aunt Adrienne, this is my friend Sasha Doletskaya. Sasha, this is Adrienne Ellis."

"Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Ellis," I said, doing my best to channel my inner human. Josh was oblivious to my predatory aura, but few humans were comfortable in close quarters with me unless I was seducing them.

"Oh, you're lovely. Where did you meet? I know you weren't in school with him here," she said, taking my arm and leading me out of the room. I looked over my shoulder in surprise at Josh, but he just shrugged with that grin on his face.

Twenty minutes later, I'd survived the first round of polite questions from Josh's aunt. She was friendly and gracious, but unabashedly interested in Josh's life and my part in it.

"I hope I haven't overstepped any bounds, Sasha, but Josh is very important to me. He hasn't had a girl here since I made him enroll in cotillion training in high school," she confided. Josh had stepped out of the room to make dinner reservations for us. "He escorted a young lady to her debutante ball, and I haven't seen him with another girl since."

"Cotillion?" I asked, although I had a good idea what it involved. I didn't think Sasha the exchange student would know. At the same time, I wondered who this young lady was and whether Josh had liked her. My hand curled into a fist under the table, and I had to struggle to relax my hand and subsequently my thoughts.

"Oh, yes. How does one describe cotillion? It's a tradition where the young men and ladies learn to interact socially, and it culminates in a ball where they're introduced to society. Josh may not always demonstrate it, but he is capable of organizing and hosting society events. He can dance, dress, dine, and make small talk with the best," Adrienne confided fondly. I supposed that explained part of Josh's personality.

"Adrienne, please. I've put that part of my life firmly behind me." Josh was clearly embarrassed. He had changed clothes to khaki pants and a light-blue button down shirt.

"I would hate to think that manners were something you would choose to shed," Adrienne responded, but her tone was light. "I don't think he likes to admit he can dance," she added to me conspiratorially, although Josh could obviously overhear her.

I heard a car pull into the garage, although I didn't think Josh or Adrienne had noticed. Suddenly, there was an enormous racket at the door adjacent to where we sat in the kitchen. The door burst open, and a short, robust man called out "Heeere's Johnny!" as he leered evilly into the kitchen. When he caught sight of me, he choked a bit.

"Kimani! We have a guest!" Adrienne scolded, but Josh couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Your face…when you…and then Adrienne…" he stuttered incoherently between guffaws.

Josh's uncle entered the room, and charmingly took my hand. "I apologize, miss. I'm Kimani Ellis, uncle to the young hyena in the corner."

"Sasha Doletskaya. Pleased to make your acquaintance," I answered, shaking his hand.

"A friend of Josh's? I think I have a few stories to tell you," he began.

"Actually, we're going to miss our reservation if we don't leave right away," Josh interrupted, his laughing fit hastily concluded. "I'm sure you can save all the embarrassing stories for another time."

"And the pictures!" Adrienne cried with dismay. "We have a lot of photos!"

"Good night, everyone," Josh sang out, dragging me by my elbow.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Your aunt and uncle are very nice," I told Josh as I pushed yet another lettuce leaf around my plate. "I can tell they care for you very much."

"They've been really supportive since my dad died. Before then, too." Josh paused, and a flicker of pain passed over his face. "I didn't want to tell you this now, but I had a lot of trouble after. My stepmother didn't like me very much."

I wanted more than anything to hear Josh's story straight from him; of course, Edward and Jasper had filled in the factual details for me long ago. Unfortunately, a tickle in my eye let me know I needed to get to the restroom to change contacts before I caused another meltdown for Josh. I must have looked distressed, because Josh responded immediately.

"Is everything all right?"

"I need to get to the restroom; I think something is in my eye." I covered the ticklish eye, and headed away quickly, noting that Josh stood when I did. The restroom was smelly, but thankfully empty. I quickly put in a new set of contacts. I wondered if Emmett would consider designing a less fragile substance for vampires needing ocular disguise. I was taking one last look in the mirror when I heard Josh's voice.

"No, I'm not alone. We can talk some other time." His tone was cold and harsh, more so than I'd ever heard him. I hurried out of the restroom and toward our table. As I approached, I saw he had been joined by a blonde woman; she had taken my chair and had her back to me. Josh's face was uncompromisingly hard; a vein pulsed angrily in his forehead. An emotion I'd only recently become acquainted with surged inside me; I wanted to eviscerate this female who was hovering around Josh. _Mine_. Venom surged in my mouth, my eyes narrowed, and I barely resisted the urge to knock her out of the chair. Josh's eyes flicked up to me, and his face softened; I tried to modulate my own expression to match his. The woman turned swiftly in the chair, and I came face to face with a woman in perhaps her mid thirties, golden blonde, and fit. Her mouth was twisted with what I guessed was a bitter flavor, but then her hazel eyes opened wider and she smiled.

"Well, you must be the young lady my Joshua has been telling me about. I'm his step-mother, Sylvia Clemson." Her grin got bigger, and I could almost see wheels turning. She wanted him, or something from him, and she thought I was in her way.

I had lived a thousand years. I could recite poetry in eight languages – I had written love poetry which still stood unattributed but was reread in small volumes in scholarly settings. I had been a mistress to a king (well, for a short time). I knew I was beautiful, elegant, and sophisticated.

All I could think was _bring it on little girl_.

**AN2: ****The quote says that the jealous woman is more dangerous than the mad dog. And trust me, in this context, Sylvia is definitely the dog.**

**The Death of Joham, my one-shot featuring Demetri, is up for "Best Volturi" at the Single Shot Awards, singleshotawards dot blogspot dot com. Voting is open until Aug. 30. I noticed EliseShaw also has a oneshot in two categories. I encourage everyone to go to the awards site and at least find some fun shorts to read. You *could* also vote for my story. :)**


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